Silver Shadowfall
by BlessfulheartAndreth2015
Summary: (Editing in progress. . .8 chapters updated.) The sky cries white tears of snow, but still the fragile seeds wait long for the sun to shine, dark winter away, come spring. Dante, Jill
1. Chapter 1 Prologue updated

**Chapter 1 - Prologue: One**

* * *

The sun stared at the world without pause through the crystal clear sky.  
The magnetosphere was this crackling little lens, protecting all the roaches and rats that scrambled beneath, blissfully unaware.  
Heat radiated from the streets soon created the feeling of being trapped within an oven.

Most people sought comfort from the mugginess by eating ice cream or drinking chilled beverages.

The amount of clothing reflected that as well.

The city block had plenty of life within the shade. Stores abounded with the promise of cool air, and umbrellas, shaded ivory, protected the lively people.  
A car drove past the block as the driver scanned the avenue. Everything looked to be about the same as it normally was.

A green taxi left the block as it made a right turn, off to a secluded building, about 3 kilometers away. It sat in the middle of an open field, a flat black top.  
The lot had fallen into disrepair, and the buried weeds had grown where the sun once shined. The tar had cracked and shifted apart.  
There sat a ten story building across from them. The car followed the disrepaired road to drive along the side the building. It parked in a vacant space.  
A brunette woman exited the back seat and readjusted a charcoal grey baseball cap. Her hair was tied back into a ponytail that hung out of the open back end of the hat.  
The woman closed the door behind her, then set her hands in her pockets and walked away. She wore a black, plain V-neck T shirt, and beige jeans with grey, athletic boots.

Inside, the woman was met by a familiar face, "Valentine, good to see you today."

The woman smiled.

"Barry? I thought today you'd take Polly out for a walk." She crossed her arms nicely.

Barry Burton, a long-trusted friend. Tall and armed with a calm exterior, he was imposing enough to make a person feel like they were in the presence of a bear.  
He wore a thin red vest with a black undershirt, and dark brown, carpenter pants. He glanced back at the wall and nodded his head to a nearby elevator as Valentine walked beside him.

"Oh thanks, nice to see you too." Barry sarcastically retorted, teasing.

Jill laughed and shook her head.

"Cut it out, how's Moira and Kayla?"

Barry gently led her to the elevator.

"Moira's doing well at school. Soon enough, she'll be done with elementary. Kayla's fine. A little stressed, but for some reason she loves to annoy me."

Jill pressed the button for the eightieth floor and they were sealed in.

"I'm sure Moira is excellent right?"

"Of course! She's a Burton." Barry bellowed with a long hearty laugh.

Jill's expression changed within seconds, remembering the issue at hand.

"So tell me, is it really true? About Sergei I mean." Jill opened a door to a busy hall and the two walked out together.

"Sadly yes. There is more to the story than what you know . . . Another reason I was asked to be here is to see if I can offer some insight in the whole issue.  
I was still blackmailed by them, but that means there's still more at play here.  
Did you get the updated report: DSO tracking down former Umbrella Employees?" Barry spoke in a worried tone.

"I did." Jill and Barry nodded to a receptionist they walked past. "The U.B.C.S. mercs have been the unruly ones, but the USS are way trickier."

They went past a waiting area, and a small cafe to have some drink and rest.  
Offices were in the front, occupied by agents wearing light grey shirts, a text in their back proclaiming what they served.

The Federal Bioterrorism Commission, led by Morgan Lansdale.

Former Chief Secretary of Foreign Affairs for a president back in 1988.

"I've heard that the FBC is looking for some recruits." He whispered and opened the double door of the boardroom.

"Interesting." Jill nodded as she looked into the boardroom.

Most of the chairs inside were occupied with unfamiliar faces. She assumed they were from the FBC or newbies who wanted to help with investigation.  
Right at the end, a man in an olive green jacket and brown pants stood with his hands behind his back. Barry and Jill took their seats.

"So, is everyone here?" The man asked them, to a wave of uniform affirmatives.

"Good. My name Clive Richard O'Brian." The man mentally counted everyone and nodded.

"Alright, let's begin." He took out some papers from nearby briefcase.

He separated the documents in half then passed them to both sides of the table. The members took it upon themselves to hand out the papers.

"With intelligence supplied by the DSO, we have learned there is human testing taking place in Russia." Clive looked around the room.

He appeared to be in is mid to late fifties and had a round face to prove it. His hair was combed downward, which made his head look a little plumper than it perhaps should have.

"Remember the name, 'Sergei Vladimir.' A high ranking executive of the Umbrella Corporation.  
Highly recognized as the rank of Captain, formerly of Umbrella Military branches, the USS and UBCS.  
Our sources tell us that he's the one responsible for harmful experiments done within the region.  
The growing number of missing individuals in the country of Russia has been reported to be roughly unable to enact.  
We have the permission of the Foreign Affairs Minister of Russia that we can be given a brief window to act.  
It was heard that another 'Hunters' experiment was done too. It's possible Sergei created a quite worrying number . . ."

Jill squinted at the paperwork, and felt somewhat concerned on the potential recourse . . . _If_ this mission completely fails.

"Of course you're wondering how we got a hold of such information.  
It's thanks to a former employee who turned himself in and gave us _this_.  
Along with some coordination with DSO intelligence. They confirmed the info is legit."

A woman in front of Jill spoke. "How do we know this isn't just a trap, sir? Can we really trust this man?"

Jill held her hand up, "Seconded. Wouldn't there be an immense risk involved?"

"There's always that chance when doing a mission with intelligence. This is still Umbrella we're dealing with.  
I asked each of you to come here because you all possess skills in this specific brand of warfare."

Clive took a deep breath and looked at the group once more, finishing with, "That's right Miss Valentine, there is _still_ the risk attached to this."

A man with curly hair, sitting next to the first woman who'd spoken, winked at her.

"There has to be more to this."

"Which is why I requested Mr. Redfield to come to this briefing."

A man in his late twenties got out his chair and held a small clipboard.  
He nodded and looked out the group. He had dark brunette hair, completely combed backward, with gel keeping it in place.

He wore a black jacket with a grey undershirt. Khaki cargos adorned his legs.

Jill knew him, his name was Chris.

"The remnants of Umbrella is both selling, and adjusting themselves, with the science they created. The harsh truth is that biological weapons is a growing market, globally.  
Weapons that could effectively clean out an entire population without the issue or backlash of harming the local environments are now incredibly viable.  
In Russia, we know the research there is to create the ultimate life-form: Tyrants, and any other creatures along those lines.  
So with _this_ Mission, the hope is to prove to the world governments that there has to be task force willing and able to deal with BOWs.  
This is our chance to prove ourselves, and halt the developments that could threaten the well-beings of civilians everywhere."

Everyone grumbled at him, but ultimately agreed.

"Yeah that make's sense." A cynical agent replied.

"So, we need to find him and finish this once and for all, right? I'm going." Another, more enthusiastic soldier stated

Clive admitted this outright, "Look people I need to know who would like to be part of this and those who won't."

Barry raised his hand.

"Excuse me, don't drag me into this. I'm not supposed to be part of it."

"Yes Barry. You'll stay here for a while, they'll ask you a couple of questions, that's all." Clive responded.

Jill checked the papers they passed to her. The image of a man, seemingly in his late forties, was attached to it.  
The man had a clean face, apart from a scar that ran across it.  
All the while, his hair was completely snow white, as he wore a trench coat similar to what Tyrants wore.

She thought troubles like this wouldn't ever show up again. It's kind of funny how dead wrong she was.

Guess Raccoon City wasn't an isolated incident.

"Please, look over this proposal, and ask me any questions. If you have none, you're dismissed." The man nodded as he looked around the room.

There weren't many, and after sometime, everyone left, except for Jill.  
She stayed, looking down at some notes she'd scribbled.

"Hey Jill."

She looked up at him and smiled.

"Hey Chris! It's been awhile."

Her old teammate came closer and took the seat next to her.

"Excuse me, Barry."

"No, please! Go on." Barry said as he left to meet Clive at his desk, eager to discuss something privately.

Jill stood up instead and nodded at the door for the both of them to walk outside.

The low hum of the room's conversations slowly raised in volume.

"How're you doing? Feels like we haven't seen each other in ages." Chris blurted happily.

Jill chuckled and flipped to the next page.

"I'm doing fine, thank you! Little tired lately, but I'm okay. What's with this Russian guy?"

"You don't believe it, do you? Rumor has it that Sergei is planning some kind of . . . new race of 'beings' to take over the world. Sounds familiar, right?" Chris lightly motioned.

Jill let go of the papers, she turned to look at him, veins popping out of her neck and forehead.

"Christopher Redfield, are you insuinating I'm a dumb girl for thinking something might be true? Or do you want me to break your face on the table?"

Chris looked up and smiled.

"Still got that fire in you. Glad to know ya haven't changed."

Jill closed her eyes and took a breath.

"Haah . . . I'm sorry, I just don't feel good when it comes to this subject. Let's just- let's just _not_ talk about this, okay?"

"Why?" He brought the chair closer to her, "Did something happen?"

Jill touched his shoulder and sighed.  
Chris watched her silently, her body language.

Such attitude was a little bit strange for somebody like her, though he stayed silent, not wanting to pressure her.

Jill shook her head.

"No, it's just that- I guess I never expected this was something I would be asked to be part of. It's so soon. I'm not even sure if this'll pay well." She was troubled by it somehow.

"I don't either, but I'm sure I can make it work." Chris boasted.

"I see you haven't changed either." Jill shrugged.

"I'm glad to be working with you again." Chris replied, happily nodding, "How about we go for some coffee? We already got the briefing. We've got a lot of catching up to do."

Jill agreed and followed him silently, for she didn't feel comfortable around him for some reason. The time changed them, broke their friendship.  
It's been years since the two last contacted each other after the Mansion Incident and Raccoon City's Destruction.  
Chris got a job in the Air Force while Jill took a policing detail in a different state. She grimaced to herself as she walked out into the lobby.

One of the few teammates she knew back from her STARS days, it was a friggin miracle they were both able to still stand there alive.

The small place in the other side of the floor was quite fancy looking.

It had the theme of a rainforest. There was a beautiful waterfall in the wall, designed like the water was emerging between two trees.

Chris and Jill took a seat at a table near the glass door. Chris ordered a coffee for himself.

"Are you sure about this Chris? I mean, for me, this hour isn't so good."

Chris laughed and waved his hand.

"Don't worry, it's my routine. What do you like?"

Jill put the nib of her index finger to her chin, thinking for a moment as she glanced down.

"Some green tea for me."

Chris looked back at the young waitress, and she nodded, taking the order down.

"So what's up?"

"You tell me first." Jill replied immediately.

"Well, after all the commotion on Rockfort Island, Claire wants to finish off college. So that's what she's doing at the moment.  
There also seems to be interest for her in a nursing job. I'm not sure though, she's still looking over a few others at the moment.  
I'm sure she'll move out somewhere when she's done. Still though, didn't stop dad from lecturing her. He actually demanded that I teach her some self-defense techniques."

"I'm glad to hear. I do miss Claire. Say hi from me to her, would ya?"

Chris smiled, "I will, I will."

"So what about you?"

"Me? Nothing special. When my lead in Europe went cold, I became a civilian pilot at a hospital. An emergency response helicopter pilot.  
I decided to work with a small time mercenary group on occasion. We did some stuff in private security and it was good money.  
It didn't turn out to be something I liked, but I helped pay off Claire's tuition costs and I just put the rest in my savings.  
About a year ago, I got a request to meet Clive O'Brian. I've been working with him on this proposal for the BSAA program. That's how I got here."

After spouting off that mouthful, the man looked at his partner with that incredible smile.

"Enough about my autobiography. What's up with you?"

Jill swallowed a lump on her throat, not sure how she was going to sound. Still, this was Chris, her good friend from the old days.

"I . . . I'm doing okay, I guess. I've been having to look after someone for a while now." She wanted to tell him of her daughter so bad.

"Really? I thought you lived alone." Christ replied, intrigued.

"Ah, well, it's sort of a fosteerr-No! It's a- uuhhh . . . It's a sort of- I don't know."

The scene before Chris was at once both humorous as well as a bit disconcerting.  
He liked Jill, even though time wasn't kind to their friendship.

"Hey, it's okay. If you got a boyfriend or something, that doesn't bother me."

"What? _No,_ no. No. Thats- It's completely different." She tried explaining.

"Okay, you're making it hard not to ask. What is it then, did you adopt someone?" He followed up her explanation.

"No, no, no." She replied.

'God damn it, that would've been my out!' She mentally kicked herself.

Jill found it hard to explain now.

"It's just, she's- It's someone I care about." Her face burned red at the notion. This was harder than she thought.

Should she really tell him?

"Hey, it's cool. I'm not gonna judge you."

"Hey! I'm not ashamed of it! I'm so proud of her, you've _no clue_!" She growled back at his bitchy comment.

"Proud of who? Oh m- Are-. . . Are you-?"

She stared cluelessly at him, unable to realize where he was going. What did he mean?

"Are you- God, this is never an easy question." He sighed as he buried his forehead in his hand. Shaking it off, he looked at her, "Lesbian?"

He was really trying to be as kind and considerate as possible.

Jill's eyes flared, and he knew he'd screwed up.

"What!? No! Well- There was that one time in college, _but no!_ " She proclaimed.

"Hey, hey, _alright_ I'm sorry! It was just a question, don't-" He looked around, then lowered his voice, "Don't overreact."

There were a few other people around them looking confused.  
Now both of them were blushing.

"Well, if it's none of those things, what is it?" He said. He saw from the look on her face, so he changed his mind, "You know what, it's not really my business. I'm sorry."

She sighed to herself.

"No it's okay. I'm just finding things are pretty surreal recently. I'm not sure I could tell anyone whats going on with me yet." She gave him that look, like the old days.

The one that said, 'Hey I'm vulnerable, don't push it.'

So he just smiled and grabbed her hand.

"You can tell me whenever you feel comfortable. It's me. So lets just drop it for now." He was always comfortable to be around, and she genuinely felt he was good at this.

She could always trust him, no matter what.  
For the most part, she could safely say they were reconnected.

Good, good, they'd need to be for future missions anyway.

"Alright. You're right."

They finished their drinks as she told him how her parents were doing. Her father was French, and he'd married an Asian American.  
This was why Jill looked so ambiguous, she could've been native to America or not. She'd moved here when she was just a newborn.  
Her parents loved her but lately they'd become overbearing, wanting greater control over her future.

She made jokes, told Chris some other things that had happened to her, and then realized it was time to get home.

They parted ways, and that was that.

Well wishes and a sad-happy goodbye ended the company perfectly happily.

Jill made her way back home two hours later than she wanted.

It was nightfall.

The crushing sounds of taxi horns blared nonstop, chattering wild voices with laughter.  
She could hear the sound of traffic stopping and starting as the lights shifted.  
Doormen opening the entrances of the nearby hotels made a distinct whirring sound.  
She noticed the late night workers running for cabs, scrambling and clanking their heels on the concrete sidewalks.

Her building came into view, situated in a lovely setting that overlooked the clean park.

Jill payed the driver and closed the door gently.

She rushed over to the stairs and greeted the receptionist.

"Hey Maxine!" She said as she waved happily, "Anything today?"

"Hi Jill," She nodded, "Nope, no new mail today."

"Huh, oh well. Thank you!" She said as the elevator doors opened. They closed as she pressed the button to the seventh floor.

Jill closed her eyes and took off her baseball cap. Running her fingers through her hair, she waited due diligently for the typeface to display the floor above the doors.

Ding.

The hall echoed as it took her a few seconds to reach her door.

At last, her footsteps rung through the silent corridor as she went past a number of apartments and around the corner for her humble home.  
She took her keys out of her pocket and put the right one in the hole quietly, not wanting to make much more noise.

Lightly she opened the door and went inside.

A ginger woman welcomed her, "Hey there Jill."

"Hey Marie! I'm sorry for bothering you." She took off her sneakers and went inside the small hallway.

Marie Anderson, Jill's good neighbor for almost a year now. A middle-aged woman that lived across the hall, Marie offered a helping hand since she knew Jill had a new, stressful job.

Her daughter was a little handful, that's for sure.

Marie shock her head and chuckled, "Don't be silly, I love kids. I know you need the help anyway."

With that, the woman passed by her, exchanging more pleasantries and goodbyes before leaving the apartment.

Jill went for the kitchen and put down her bag and the green file they'd all been briefed with.

"Baby." She called out, bearing a cheerful smile.

Though she didn't get an answer, she walked out of the second door of the kitchen and went for the living room.

In front of the T.V. there was a little girl sleeping peacefully.  
She had a shoulder-length bob cut, silver in color. Like the way her mother used to be, her skin was pale.

Jill knelt down and touched her shoulder.

Once the child felt her touch, she opened her eyes.

"Mommy you're back." She grumbled hazily, rubbing her eyes. The young girl crawled into her arms.

Jill happily wrapped her arms around her.

"Hey honey, how was your day with Marie?" It was a weekend, so no school.

Work never stops though.

"How was work?" The child said while she touched her mother's cheeks.

"Ah, don't worry about that sweetie, its's all a lot of hoopla."

"What's hoopla?"

"Overexcitment and a lot of bravado, I'm gonna make some dinner."

The child's face changed to sadness without warning.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

The child pulled away from her arms and went for the kitchen.

Jill watched silently as her daughter took a lighter and returned to the living room, "See mommy?"

Her mother's eyes widened, a part of her realizing what she was going to do.

"No wait!" Jill leaned forward, but it was too late.

Isara clicked the flame alight and put her hand over the fire, staring at Jill with a smile.

"Fire doesn't hurt me. I only feel a slight tingling. Kinda tickles."

Jill ripped the lighter from her hand and grabbed her daughter's shoulders.

"Will you stop doing this!? You _can't_ play with fire!" In a reprimand, she was enraged at the girl, "Isara, where in the hell did you learn to use one of these!?"

"But mom, this is just-" Isara tried, but Jill cut her off.

"Stop it young woman, you know perfectly well I don't smoke. Where did you get this?" She asked, holding the lighter up, demanding the answer.

"A friend at school . . ." She said meekly.

Jill gave a long, harsh sigh. She held the item in her hand as she thought of what to say.

"Haah . . . The next time she wants to show you something _'cool,'_ say you don't want to. Your friend doesn't understand how a bad thing can happen."

"B-But, they didn't put the fire to their hand. It hurt them when they tried at home! I though I burnt myself but then . . ." She started to look down.

Jill sighed and just knelt back down to hold her daughter in her arms, silent.

"I know. I know. There's nothing wrong with you . . . Your father could do it too." She reluctantly replied.

She disliked mentioning him around her child, gave her ideas about where he might be, who he could possibly have been.

'I can see him in you.' Jill thought to herself as she carried her darling little girl; Isara was her name.  
Ready to take her to the bedroom and read her favorite stories.

Dinner would be late that evening.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading, please tell me your thoughts in a review :)**

 **Thank you The95will for your help.**

 **Thank you Angel Wolf, my new beta reader**


	2. Chapter 2 Bare Trees Updated

**Chapter 2 - Bare Trees**

Jill laid next to her daughter and pulled up the covers for both of them. "All right, bed time."

"Mom?"

"Yeah honey?"

For a moment, Isara looked at Jill's eyes, feeling her mother's hands play with her hair.

"Where's daddy?"

Her face turned pale for a second. She swallowed a lump in her throat and rolled her head away.

As much as it saddens her to be like this, she had no choice.

Dante left, she couldn't find him, and a choice had been made to be a single mother. They say spirit always stays.

But a child won't understand.

What was she supposed to say? That he didn't want her? That he wasn't even aware she existed?

Would he even care?

Coming down from her worry, she swallowed and fought through her fear.

"Daddy is . . . busy. He'll be away for a while." Jill sighed and pulled her daughter in for a hug. "Close your eyes, baby. Sweet dreams."

.

.

.

Jill opened her eyes and glanced at her digital clock.

The time was 6:15 a.m. She looked drowsily around her bedroom and searched for the sound.  
As usual, she wasn't very sure whether it was the sound coming from her phone's alarm, or if she left the vibration setting on again.

It kept getting harder to tell, each time her hearing got groggier as she got older.

The cellphone was on the dresser, and the light flickered.

She twisted onto her back and stared at the ceiling. The popcorn cover on her daughter's lamp-fan just looked like static as the blades spun around and around.  
Jill blinked at it then rubbed the crust out of the corner of her eyes.

She flopped back to her left to look at the wall and blinked again . . . The open beige color didn't really add anything to the room.

'Maybe I should get a poster.' Eventually, it was time to lean up and start the morning routine.

Jill laid down again, curling her toes and praising how welcoming the sheets felt. A bit of irritation gave her the need to itch a specific spot on her lower left ankle.

She pulled her leg up to her side, in the process of relieving that irritation, and opened her mouth for a prolonged yawn.

The woman sat back up and took a deep breath. The moment she stood up from her bed, her arms raised to the ceiling to stretch for the morning.  
From there, Jill wobbled over to her phone on the dresser.

It turned out to just be another voicemail from a hokey number, saying she won some deal…

'Damn telemarketers.'

Jill set the phone down. Moving away from it, she opened the drawer of the nightstand and removed a leather wallet with a star-shaped symbol.  
A bit chipped at the corners, it still shined in the light of the room. Dust had long settled around it, but the star itself, always sparkled. To the left of the badge, was a picture.  
Valentine was standing next to a half dozen other depicted members. One of these other individuals had their face violently scratched out of the photo.

"Mommy, are you awake?" A soft voice called out, Jill looked at her doorway.

Isara peeked from one side of the door, just barely enough for her eyes to see.

A bright smile graced Jill's face.

"Come on in, honey." She said and knelt down with opened arms.

The little girl pushed the door slowly and entered, her lips forming half a smile and she rested herself into her mother's embrace.

"Did you go to the bathroom and wash?" Jill's fingers gently curled around several strands of Isara's hair and felt the damp moisture.

The child nodded.

"Okay, I'll get breakfast ready, get dressed for school." She said.

"Aw, do I have to?" Isara whined.

Jill scoffed and laughed a bit before giving her the tired old speech, "Sweetie, how many times do I have to tell this? You need a good education."

Isara puffed her cheeks in frustration.

"Now, young lady."

Jill this time chose to change the routine. She cooked up something she'd planning for a while, a Tomato Toast with Macadamia Ricotta, along with a glass of milk.  
It was a bit over the top, but it was certainly better than a plain omelet, slightly burnt toast and water.  
Isara took a seat on their small table inside the kitchen, an obvious scowl on her face. She took a seat in a black chair at the wooden table.

Her mom hovered over the stove as she took out a small rubber band, then straightened her hair in a short knot so to tie it back into a ponytail.  
The fold out chair with the wooden table was enough for that little girl to manage.

Just something about oversized clutter always irked her to no end.

Several minutes later, two plates were placed in front of the child and Jill took a seat. "Don't give me that face, come on. Try it."

The vegetables themselves held the poached eggs. It was something that Jill remembered having with her grandmother when she was a little girl.  
It didn't turn out as simple for Isara. Of course, the hardened, former officer attempted other styles. Deviled, the spices didn't quite agree with her nose and with the attempt with eggs benedict?

Dream on . . .

"I don't want to." The little girl crossed her arms, which, in turn, caused Jill's lip to wince.

* * *

 **. . . Days ago . . .**

"But mom, this isn't fair! I want a strawberry Sunday!" The kid cried, her face turning red.

Jill's palm greeted itself to her forehead. Kids can be difficult. She'd already made a nice scene inside the restaurant.

Jill tried so hard to hold herself back from slapping her. Th public didn't take too kindly to disciplining children anymore, not like when she was growing up anyway.  
She rubbed both sides of her nose, eyes closed with a mantra that repeated itself in her mind.

'She's just a kid, she's just a kid; don't think like that.'

She placed her finger on the child's mouth.

"Shhh, shhhh- Just-! Just listen to me! Listen to me for a moment! I'll buy you ice cream if you promise me something."

Silenced, the girl nodded.

"Promise me, you'll be a good girl and go to school without a fuss! You'll have a nice breakfast and then go back to school. Promise me!"

* * *

 **. . . Present . . .**

"Isara, didn't you promise me you'd go back to school without a fuss? What have we talked about promises?" Jill spoke, aggravated.

She was about to speak when the sound of the house phone cut through the moment.

Jill sighed and left her chair. She pointed at the plate in front of the girl, and narrowed her eyes. "I don't want any more arguments. You better eat that."

Odd that the landline would be used to contact her, but anytime it was, it was usually work.

Placed on a wall in the connecting hallway, she though to herself, 'Pretty early, ain't it?'

A number was showed on the small control panel screen. Another sigh escaped her lips. There was a small knot in her throat, just begging itself to be let out, even if that meant straining her vocal cords.

She swallowed and picked up the handset.

"Hello?"

"Good morning Jill, sorry to trouble you at this time, but I have no choice, under the circumstances." A feminine voice spoke on the other line.

She was deadpan in her response.

"It's alright."

There was a sort of hysterical breath on the other end, trying to suppress a chuckle.

"Look, it seems the Russia mission is going to be sooner than expected. A new-. . . complication . . . presented itself early this morning. Chris is going to be there after few minutes to discuss the details."

Jill felt her heart skip a beat.

"Excuse me? Chris is...coming?"

The woman on the other line was silent, quite surprised by the reaction.

"Uh . . . yeah, the two of you will be partners, remember? Everything alright?"

She gulped hard.

"Yeah . . . okay, goodbye." She set the phone back down on the receiver.

Immediately, she paced back and forth in the hallway, taking several shortened breathes as it became a chore to ponder over.

Jill pulled herself together and returned to the kitchen.

Isara was done with her food, having eaten every bite, and was tempted to take a bite out of Jill's.  
Mom turned out to be a pretty good cook after all.

Though she was worried, a feeling of pride came over Jill at the same time. Still though, it felt like her heartbeats were thundering drums, growing louder every second.

"Mom, are you okay?" Isara looked at her sad expression. "Are you mad at me?"

Jill pushed the thoughts and smiled back at her. "No no, I'm glad to see that you hated it."

Her daughter understood the sarcasm and blushed a bit, feeling like a fool for not wanting to try what turned out to be a pretty interesting meal.

While she went to wash, a soft knock on the door told Jill her time was up.

The secret's out for another person from her past. While it was true that she still trusted Chris with her life . . . Did she really have the courage to tell him about her?  
After all, she always thought that he would make a damn good father. They'd worked together for a long time.

Jill looked through the peephole and saw her old friend, Chris Redfield, standing there, wearing a casual jacket over a relaxed uniform, with a large bag slung over his shoulder.

For a moment, she took a deep breath. 'Alright, here goes.'

Jill opened the door and welcomed him. "Hey Chris, come on in."

She stepped aside to signal him, motioning her hand.

"Hey Valentine. Thanks." He said happily, and followed her through the small foyer.  
It was nice and cozy, a small, modest rug welcoming his prefectly clean boots, and some other furniture that looked like it was inheritance from a relative.

Slowly, she opened the door to the living room, and they entered.

"Look Jill," Chris said as he sat on the couch, in front of the TV, "I know this isn't really a good time, but it's just-, things aren't going well and the time frame is too small."

"I understand, don't worry about it." Jill nodded and smiled.

She sat on a chair diagonal to the couch.

"Mommy . . . ?" Jill heard the sound of her daughter, wondering where she went, and felt the pressure return.

Chris looked at Jill with an awkward smile, and his gaze darted to the door.

Out from behind the edge, he saw a small girl.

Chris found himself chortle unexpectedly, "Ahehe, and who is this?"

The man looked back at a visibly uncomfortable Jill

"Ahem, come say hi to Chris, sweetie. He's a friend of mommy." She said. Isara had dried off her hands well, and came closer to the man.

"Hey mister." she whispered, feeling a little uneasy. As a stranger, her instinct wasn't to be friendly. "I know you."

"Oh-ho, H-Hello to you too." Chris replied, still unable to hide the surprise in his voice. He raised an eyebrow at her. "Really? What did mommy tell you about me?"

The little girl looked back at her mother and laughed, her grey eyes glistering.

"You're a good man, and she missed talking to you." Her cheeks were still a little red.

Chris whispered, "Aw!" and drew her in for a hug. "You're so adorable."

He chuckled and smiled at Jill. She could tell Isara really liked her old friend.

"Also, you had the worst eating habits when you were trying to stay in shape." She added.

Jill went white as a sheet.

"Ahaha. Really now?" Chris looked over his shoulder, his smile cut with a sarcastic look.

Jill widened her eyes and nervously laughed.

"D-Ahahahaha, haha-oh, Oh sweetie, that's enough!" She said, embarrassed.

"But mom, you said he looked like a goat chewing grass." Isara tilted her head and stuck her tongue out.

Chris leaned back and had a hearty laugh, and any negativity just bled out of him. He smiled at Jill as he laughed.

The kid was so cute, her plump cheeks and fine nose made her child even more endearing. Jill watched the scene before her, questioning herself why she was worried.  
Why _was_ she so afraid of this meeting? Chris lightly touched her cheeks, noting her pale skin versus Jill's relatively darker, more tanned shade.

Isara pushed his hands away and crossed her arms. "I don't like it when people touch my cheeks."

Good god she was adorable, that fussiness adding to her cherubic cuteness.

Chris sniggered some more, then bowed his head with his hands held high, "Forgive me, officer."

Isara smiled proudly and then ran out of the living room and straight to her bedroom.  
Once the two of them heard the door close, he looked at Jill for a moment.

"Well, i didn't expect _that!_ She's a cutie. Congratulations ma-friend. I have so many questions now. But, what's with the hair? Did you dye it for her?"

"Nope, uh, that's her natural hair color."

Chris tilted his head forward and widened his eyes a bit. "Really? That's odd, I don't think I ever saw a natural silver hair. Greying early?"

Jill shook her head with a reluctant smirk.

"Huh . . . Well, anyway-." He started searching through the bag. He really wanted to know more now, not really wanting to talk about work.  
But he could see Jill's reaction, and thought better of it, considering that she apparently hid this from him for, most likely, years.

Isara came back in, still not ready for school. It was roughly twenty-five minutes before they had to leave.

"Honey, for the last time, go get dressed and ready for school. That's final!" Jill declared, looking at her with that knowing, motherly look.

She nodded and did what was requested of her, closing the door again after returning.

"Okay, so the intel says Sergei's facility is in the middle of the Gora Kukurtli-Kolbashi mountain range. That's good news, so no people are going to be hurt if something explosive happens."

Chris took out a picture and gave it to her.

Jill examined the picture carefully. The facility looked normal on the outside, so it was hard to believe it as a dangerous place to visit.

"I see. So what, we just go there and take him out like normal, right?" She was really questioning why he wanted to talk about it.

He jumped more straight to the point, "Ah, _but,_ according to the words of some newly-accounted-for survivors, a creepy number of monsters live at in the mountain range.  
A professional deer-hunter came across an old Hunter after the explosion of the population. The wolves were mostly kicked out of the region. Those that stayed were found in a less than intact state.  
Command confirmed the location with a scout and we think they'd probably know we're coming."

Chris then pulled a file from the bag and gave it to her. "It's obvious that some employees are still around, and we aren't sure on the amount of manpower local mercenaries possess.  
The scout couldn't get inside. He was spotted trying." Chris stopped to take his breath.

"Meaning . . . ?" Jill asked, interrupting his break.

"We don't know jack shit, and there's no way to get any reconnaissance unless we send valuable field assets. So, Command's suggested we move on it now before they pack everything up."

"I think I'm going to join O'Brian." Jill announced.

"Oh, he already knew you would. BSAA's got you a parking space and your own private locker." Chris nervously smiled.

She stared at him.

"What happened to the legal proceedings with the umbrella employees?"

"It seems some of em' were a bit too clever. A few successfully put part of the blame on the US government for what happened before." Chris commented.

Hints of anger tinged his voice. "We thought we had all the documentation on their facilities, but . . . more are still functioning."

Redfield tightened his left hand into a fist.

"So, that means . . ."

"Yeah," He replied.

"When do we roll out?"

Chris checked his watch for a moment, "Three hours, along with the unit. Can you get ready before then? A co-worker will have thermal armor ready for you."

"Great," Jill stood up and nodded, "I'm going to take my daughter to school."

* * *

 **. . . One Hour Later . . .**

An hour went by, like a blink of an eye.

Jill was able to contact the school and notify them of her parents dropping and picking Isara up.  
Their farewell was a little troubling for her again.

"Mom, please don't go." She murmured. "We were going to eat at a restaurant and take a walk together!"

Paul Valentine stood in the front door with his steel cane helping him to stay balanced.

"Ah kids," he whispered.

There was a slight, french twang of an accent in his voice.

"I'm just leaving for a few days, I'll come back for you as soon as I can. Promise, okay?" Jill bent over and kissed her forehead. "Be good with grandma and grandpa, 'kay?"

Jill looked up at her father.

"Thanks dad." she knew from his expression alone, he still wasn't very pleased with her.

"Dad, we're doing fine on our own. Why is this still a problem for us?" She questioned.

Aika Valentine came toward them from the car, a bit annoyed. "Right, you're fine. Accept the fact you have to leave your daughter at the drop of a hat to earn some money.  
You think you can support her like this!? What kind of 'fine' is that?"

Jill pushed her daughter gently. "Go to grandpa's car, darling."

The girl nodded, then ran inside to the backseat.

She then called her mother over and placed a hand on her shoulder. Aika could feel the anger rising from her. In a whispered rage, she told her off.

"Look, i know you think you're helping me by chastising me in front of my child. But I don't care that you're my birth mother, raising _my_ child is not one iota _your_ problem.  
So let me do my job as a parent, just like you did. As i recall, you and Dad weren't exactly able to earn money easily either."

She was taken aback by her daughter's stance on the matter. And in a way, Jill was 100% right. Isara was Jill's problem not hers.

"I'm- I'm sorry. I'm sorry sweetheart, you know that i wouldn't say anything if I didn't love you. I just- You're _my_ child, and I want to do everything I can to help."  
Her argument was valid, now that she'd seen how passionate Jill was. Aika had come to realize that she'd overstepped her boundaries.

Jill hugged her mom, and said, "I know you want whats best. But so do I. I'll see you when I get back, okay? I love you."

She was touched, and so her mother just stayed silent and walked back to the car.

Paul clenched his fist, saying, "You need help."

"Don't make me tell you off either, it's not your concern." Jill darkened her expression.

Paul showed her his own anger, "Why not, she's my granddaughter. I want what's best for her."

"And like I told mom; Your opinion about my daughter doesn't matter. She's not your child. She's mine."

Paul looked shocked. He eventually nodded, closing his lips, and just chose to stay silent

"I love you, Dad." She whispered, and walked out of her front yard, where Chris waited for her in his car, next to their's.

* * *

 **. . . Some Time Later . . .**

Jill strapped herself into the chopper seat and looked out the window next to her. All the other agents in their other chairs were close enough. She didn't do well in close spaces.  
Brought back bad memories for her. She wore a light blue, hooded jacket and grey pants with black boots. Under the jacket was expensive tactical gear, all colored black, and threaded with kevlar.  
She moved her hands together then tugged at the wrist to tighten the grip of her gloves. Taking out her side arm, a custom, black M92F pistol with a stainless steel barrel.

It went in tandem with her assault rifle.

She opened her jacket to reveal an additional magazine vest with a dozen pouches. It was the weirdest rainbow ever, going in from black to charcoal grey to grey.

For stuff like this, Jill did not want to leave things to chance.

The helicopter had six agents, including Jill. Two more helicopters followed in formation to the designated zone.

It took about another twelve hours just to arrive in the damn country, so the team were really racing against the clock on this operation.

Jill mentally prepped for another mission, again.  
To be honest, she felt a bit excited to be part of field work again. She'd kept herself in shape, but still, it worried her about the consequences. What injuries might she walk away with?  
She'd seen too much. Nevertheless, she continued hoping these so-called 'new' Bio weapons were complete failures.  
She rubbed her eyes and felt hints of jetlag setting in, but now wasn't the time to worry about that.

The memory of having to tell Wesker about her child . . . She'd never really reflected on how messed up that situation was.  
This thought alone made her have trouble sleeping, much less nap during the flight. Terrified someone might come and take her daughter away, she might never be seen again.  
People like _him_ will always play dirty to hurt their enemies. Jill knew she couldn't stay silent like this forever. It has to be part of the effort to end Umbrella, once and for all.

Her child could be in danger. This mother wouldn't let some asshole stand in her way.

The helicopter's rotors tuned out most forms of sound, and Jill closed her eyes for a moment as it started to ascend to the sky.

Jill heaved a long sigh, like a heavy weight on her shoulders.

"Maybe I'm just paranoid." Once again, Jill took out her pistol to put through the motions of a maintenance check.

It was a long ride.

* * *

 **. . . Someplace Else . . .**

* * *

A man walked into what seemed an empty hospital, the air around him felt heavy. The dust weighed it down enough that a person would be winded if they ventured in this place longer than they had to.  
The man sighed as he leaned to his right, using the wall as support, and his right foot stumbled forward. His shoulder slammed to the wall repeatedly, scuffling along like a dazed vagabond.

And the man shook his head.

The lights flickered around him in unison. Not an end to the hall in sight, from what he could state, based on observation.

To keep himself upright, the man closed his eyes and forced his weight to the right half of his body. His arm angled itself along the wall and he kept himself stable as he pressed onward.  
Door after door was locked and he didn't feel the pressing need to force himself in through any of them.  
His lungs hurt from the lack of proper oxygen. It became a chore just to remind himself to inhale. Soon enough, one of the doors wasn't closed. He pulled himself inside it . . .

Air

Air

Air

Once he was in front of the bed, inside, he could see a body covered with a blanket laying across the mattress. He kept his head level and looked away from the body.  
The clear distinction of color phased him. The blood had dried long ago and the darkened patches looked more like splashes of black paint.

He kept his thoughts calm until something metallic pierced his skin and drove through his back.

An iron taste flooded his mouth.

He gasped.

Blood seeped from his lips.

A jolt of fire rang around him as the steely object came into direct contact with several of his bones.  
He wanted to scream but looked at the ceiling as a basic response. He wanted to scream, but his lungs had all the power stabbed out of them.

A figment rose from the sheets. A crooked neck stuck out as the figure looked rotted. It pointed directly at him with an abormal, spindly finger.

"It's all your fault."

The man still couldn't speak . . . he just took a moment to swallow his blood. The lower jaw was pure liquid crimson. He clenched his fingers so hard, that something popped.

"I'm Sh-sooorrry!" The man gurgled

Just like that, the figment burned through the bed. The face was enshrouded in shadow. It made his chest tighten as the thing that pierced him twisted and knotted his throat.  
The man submitted to the pain, then dropped to his knees. He coughed up blood and bits of bone.

His senses ignited in a sickening frenzy, feeling like they were aflame.

A heavy boot of some kind kicked the man forward, where he raced through a hallway, falling endlessly until he skid across the tiled floor.  
Then, from the thousand mile hole in his back, had six sets of hands find the cut. Then, at once, each hand pulled his wound apart.  
The man's eyes widened while his mouth gaped, but no words could be uttered. He watched the world around him go from grey to black.

Nothing could be in focus.

More bones.

More flesh.

Stripped away.

Piece by piece. Oh god, the scissors.

Every little notch and surgery gassed him under, a hand pulling finally at his canyon jaw for a tear.

And tears did fall, hitherto his tendons tore and macerated. All the hands kept quartering him.

All of the hands.

First it was his left shoulder blade, then the spine and by the end of it, his slimy organs were chewed and crushed, squeezed and shoved aside.

All.

THe.

HanDs . . .

In the corner of the man's remaining eye, he could see half of his heart was cut out while the figure displayed it between his fingers.

It stuttered to him through the valley, all surrounded by dead kings and obelisks.

Atop its broken neck, a spiked head and chilling blue eyes impaled his soul. So it let him be returned. It let him be done.

"This still doesn't measure up, Dante. Only a fool would accept this as fate. Or are you so destroyed you couldn't even touch me?  
I rule the midnight air, the destroyer. I'm born

I shall soon be their deadly mass.

I

I creep the steps and floor, final darkness

Blood

Blood

Blood

Dante's blood, the painted door. I shall pass you, as i have before.

I can't see your light shining."

His words grew disparate and cracked open, like glass jars.

A cherub snuck upon his shoulder and merged into his left shoulder, changing the figure into a churning mass. It engulfed his legs, crawling under his skin.

Corroding his flesh, biting at his sinew, pulling at every devilish nerve, stabbing and piercing his eyes, it suffocated him against the ground.

Holding him down, blotting out the bejeweled son, gorging his remains as shoved its way into his throat.

No.

No.

No, no, no, no, no, -Oh god.

Oh god!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHhhhhHHhHhHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

* * *

A young man with silver hair shot up straight in bed. Beads of sweat raced from his upper body to his waist and the air stung his skin.

He looked all around him, trying to get a look at where he was. A few seconds passed by and he realized, he was in his room.

It was still pitch black in the windowsill. Images flashed through his head.

"What the hell!?" He allowed himself to yell.

He leaned up and rubbed his face, he couldn't get back to sleep even if he wanted to.

The man brushed his covers aside and left his room. Maybe a beer would settle his nerves.

It didn't.

. . .

A truth he couldn't ever deny. He missed his twin terribly.

And the sense of guilt has been eating him alive for far too long. No one would ever know about this, and he did not really want to be all mopey around someone.

He isn't like that and he never will be.

How perverse to miss someone you still dislike.

. . .

For hours, the silver-maned man watched a growing shadow bloom from a window while a dull, orange glow engulf it afterwards.  
His hands at the arm rest, he just kept waiting for the sun to fulfill its occupation.  
Sounds of rubber etching on the concrete was enough to signal to him that people were out and about.

He heaved a prolonged sigh and picked up a towel he fetched for himself earlier.

The man left the room, straight to the bathroom for a warm shower.

His front door swung open, and revealed a tall woman with long, blonde hair. The face looks alot like the picture placed upon the desk.

Several strands drifted down her forehead, so she combed them back to her ears. A black, leather corset hugged her abdomen and generously held tight around her breasts.  
She also wore black pants with charcoal leather high heel boots.

On her right hand was a new leather wristband that traveled up to her forearm, and strapped on four times.

She wanted to send a fashion statement not to screw with her.

"Dante?" She called out.

The woman rolled her eyes and took a seat on the edge of the desk, conjuring different methods of information she acquired.  
She searched through her bag and took out the picture, just to make sure one last time. The picture was still the same, there is no doubt.

She sighed sadly and waited.

Five minutes later. the man walked out, rubbing his hair with a towel.  
Despite how messy it got, it always just seemed to fall right back into perfect place.

"A little early, don't you think, Trish?"

"Nice to see you too." She rolled her eyes. "You've got a new job. Well, an offer, knowing you."

Dante closed his eyes and took the seat at the desk.

He sat next to trish reluctantly. "I hate to be predictable, but . . . Thanks but no thanks, all you've brought to me lately are lame jobs. "

Trish shook her head, both annoyed and worried.

"We have a high roller. Says he'll drop 3Gs for you to just show up."

Dante's eyes came alive.

"Another 6 grand if you complete the job." She finished. Trish placed a small picture in front of him, it appears to be a man in his late forties.

There was name written down at the bottom.

"'Sergei Vladislav,' huh? Who's that guy supposed to be?" Dante asked, legs resting up at the desk. "And why would this 'high roller' want to pay me that much for this piddly Russian bozo?"

Trish crossed her arms. "He's part of Umbrella Corporation, you'll want to go there. Or maybe not . . ."

Dante noticed a weird look in her eyes, a look he was not able to read.

"So he wants me to investigate and help arrest this Russian twat . . . Cheeki Breeki. Any chance you brought some pizza or somethin'?"

Lady ungraciously chuckled at him.

"No, Dante. No I didn't. I want you to focus, this is important for us."

Dante pondered for a moment.

"Hmmm . . . Umbrella? Yeah I heard the name before. Isn't this that company accused of starting the zombie Apocalypse a couple years ago?" he pulled his legs down.

Trish gritted her teeth and huffed.

"How many times have I told you to take something serious? God you're pathetic you know that!"

"Deal with it." Her comment annoyed him, and this wasn't lost on her.

He sighed, responding additionally, "Why don't you go bother Lady again? Maybe you could hit the town like before."

Dante's comments often cut into her without really meaning to.

"Heh . . . Oh please. I don't feel like ruining my hair again, that Lady is a real brute." She replied, remembering their little skirmish at the church.

Trish placed a number of pictures on his desk and left them there for him to observe. At first, he saw only weird creatures, types of demons he'd never seen before . . .

"So what are you saying?" he asked, flipping through them until he stumbled upon one specific photo that froze his veins.  
A corpse white as a sheet. A pallid man with silver, swept back hair, hanging somewhere on a metal table. It looked like some frigid laboratory.

It was a face he hadn't seen in more than a decade.

The man didn't even break eye contact from the photo. He passed it reluctantly to Trish but kept his cool.

"I'm not sure if this one's new or old, but there's no doubt about who it is." Trish whispered. "My sources told me that they lobotomized his corpse and used it for some kind of experiments."

She set the photo down, and continued, "I'm not sure how they got him there or what happened exactly."

Her mind suddenly shifted elsewhere.

. . .

A coffin-like tube opened. Four men came in, holding a body, and placed it carefully inside. Right behind them stood a middle-aged man, smirking as he watched them secure the cadaver within.

"A new era is at hand."

. . .

"At-least that's what he saw, and he swears by it, so . . ." She trailed off momentarily, "This man, Sergei. He's seriously interested in possessing demonic strength. I heard he's planning to work on something."

Awkward silence fell between the two, and the expression Dante had for a split second made her feel worried.  
It was a mix of disbelief and sad anguish.

"Humans . . . Humans!" He sardonically repeated the words, lost in his own world for a moment.

"Dante?" She chirped at him.

The red mercenary stood shakily, like he just got electrified.

"I'm going now. You stay here."

Trish opened her mouth but he cut her off.

Staring back at her with a dangrous glare, he said, "This is my problem, my fight. I'm alone on this."

She was silent for a long time.

"Alright, if that's what you want . . ."

* * *

 **. . . Russia . . .**

He wasn't sure why a simple conversation had led him to Mother Russia of all places. However he vowed to seek answers no matter what.

Dante just wanted to have closure . . . if not for him, then at least for his invalid brother, or what's left of him. Blood-ties owed him that much.

The blizzard was a mini hurricane of snow and ice.

Everything seemed dark and blinding at the same time.

He could barely see anything around him because of the blowing, white wall.

Traveling over the path, he left a trail of footsteps behind him. He could feel his breath freezing in his throat. Still, he didn't experience much pain.  
A ghastly figure of the facility sprawled before him. O'Brian, aka the High Roller, said there should be a way inside through a series of tunnels or a secret door or some such nonsense.

Once he was close enough to the place, a sound stopped him for a moment. Hissing and growling.  
Dante's eyes darted around to locate whatever was watching him, but it was too lightless to see far.

He instinctively positioned his right arm near the handle of an oversized blade with a skull at the hilt. Eventually, something lunged at him from the wintry darkness, a creature with a hunched back.

The skin looked rough, scaly, and thick.

"You're something new!" Dante mused and twisted, allowing reflexes to finish the job.

The blade flickered from what little light there was while the creature's claws slammed into his sword with a clash of steel. Dante smirked, his feet planted wide apart.  
His body lined up perfectly, and the hunter attack barely moved him from his spot.

His broadsword cleaved through the claw and slashed the broadside of its neck. It's head rolled away, severed.

The hunter laid lifeless under his foot in the red snow.

He started to head toward the facility, placing the blade back on it's hilt, when he heard multiple clicks and creeks. "Look's like I stumbled into an unfinished party here!"

Twin pistols pulled out of their brown leather holsters.

One silver, one jet black, Dante observed a mutant dog's movements, holding them at the ready.

The shadows moved uncontrollably, circling him, ready for attack.

"Come on." He said, mocking them.

Two figures growled and lunged toward him. Immediately, Dante fired off both guns nonstop, spraying the creatures with lead as they breezed through the air.

He could sense others sneaking up behind him.  
Swiftly, he shifted without moving, blurring to the side as a charging dog rolled passed.

He sent it flying mid velocity, smirking and shooting two bullets from his Ivory.

It crashed to the ground, exhaling a deep growl in place of a sad whine. Silence followed it.

"What?" Dante called aloud. "Poor form for fido. No ribbon of excellence for any of you!"

More silence. Really? That was it?

. . .

That was it.

"Well that's just disappointing." He trudged along toward his goal.

The path he went for didn't have any doors as far as he could see, though he remembered O'Brian message about a way through tunnels.

Dante tore through the tundra as he halfheartedly searched for a way inside. With enough luck, he found a brick stairway next to a massive drawbridge.  
Unfortunately, the bridge was closed up, so he made his way around the staircase, and discovered, roughly twenty paces or so down into the gorge was a small opening in the mortared structure.  
He hugged the cold wall, making his way to the peculiar opening under the oblong stairs.

Edging his way inside, he discovered a darkened tunnel with level ground. He stepped inside and thanked whoever that O'Brian was at least correct about a tunnel.

Now onto the door.

As he walked through, his eyes easily saw through the darkness, allowing him to see in an instant.

He could just make out the figures walking about on the other side of a laboratory, behind a steel, caged-in fence.  
A darker shadow ran midway along its length.

That would be the door in.

Dante held onto his guns and went towards the door, running in a low crouch.

A sound of gunshots echoed through the silent blizzard behind him, and he could hear the sound of helicopter rotors way above.

Dante gritted his teeth at the door and sped forward. Barreling toward the door, he threw out a kick and his boot connected with the metal door, blowing the steel slab off it's hinges.  
And then the sight of creatures coming his way. Two hunters were bounding for him down a perpendicular hallway that ran the length of the immense bridge.

The man shook his head and just waited.

Biding his time steadily, he waited as these ugly beings galloped to him. Trying for a claw, they launched in a line, one after the other.

Dante feinted, wheeled his blade forward, and the Rebellion flashed across the two creatures, severing the two into four.

So they fell in a pool of weird, bloody goop.

. . .

He shot a glance back to the outside, now on his right, but he couldn't see the helicopters around. Still, his ears caught the sound of fighting somewhere.  
Dante wondered if they were Umbrella employees.

"What's the rush?" He said to himself.

He kept walking to the other side and left, sensing the emptiness of this terrible place, the strange lack of life. He took another right and down another set of steps.  
The area down here was covered in snow, though how it got there, he couldn't tell. Stained with something black, the perfidious liquid mixed with sands.

Though he didn't care much, he went forward to a path he spotted earlier. There, he saw ladder going down.

Dante didn't bother much with the idiocy of climbing and jumped down to the dark.

The air tickled his cheeks as he landed on the ground, feet first. The impact sent out a shockwave, and nearby, a rumbling noise.

Down in that tunnel, all around him, he was cornered by zombies.

Anger and agitation broke across his face.  
Almost casually, he slid in behind, and bashed his fists together. Another shockwave sent three zombies into the stone wall.

He drew out Ivory and fired lightning fast, blowing apart heads and sending chunks all over everything.

Dante fired one shot each, mercilessly domination each cadaver with a solitary bullet to the head. His eyes pierced throught the dark, for he was made of the creatures that roamed here.  
All through the passages, he could see exactly what was happening, as though it were day.

He was left with only two choices, ether go through the door on the right side, or go down through the murky water and to the other side, where there stood a separate door.

Dante held his head in his palm at the thought, but still he made his choice. He paced through the water while remaining alert to his surroundings.  
Luckily he reached the door without the need to shoot anything further.

He broke the locked door down, but heard the sound of someone running.

"Hey!" He shouted and ran after the figure.

He could see them, a man running away.

Anger further took him, and so he drew both his weapons, firing close to the figure. The time for catching up was over.

"Stop." he shouted half-heartedly. Dante was in no mood for a chase.

At last the person ceased and held his hands up. Dante came closer and put his sword to the figure's throat.

"Slowly turn around and tell me who you are. Any sudden movements and i cave your head in."

The man was a little shaky, but he did as he was told.

It seemed like he was in his late thirties. He was wearing a white lab coat and a doctor's uniform underneath.

Dante kicked his abdomen, slamming him at the wall. He took care not to tear a whole through the man's gut. He placed the tip of his sword over the man's throat.  
Dante knelt down a little and showed him a picture.

"Tell me what you know about this man. Lie to me, please. I dare you to lie to me. You won't be able to understand what happens next, even while it's happening."

The man stared at the picture for a second, until his eyes adjusted. It was a picture of someone who looked identical to his attacker, though he wore a blue coat instead.

"So you're Dante?" The man laughed. "The Son of Sparda?"

Dante thrust Rebellion into the man's hand, pinning it to the wall. He came closer and held the barrel of Ebony to his head.

"How rude of me, I didn't get _your_ name."

"My name is James." The man smiled through pain. "Pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure's all mine." Dante knocked the blade out of his hand, and picked him off the ground. He held him in the air, then shoved the man down onto the table.

It knocked the wind out of him and he felt a hand grab hold of his throat and choke him.  
Dante smashed the handle of Ivory onto the man's other hand and beat the flat of the handle onto the side of his head till he bled.

He let go of his throat, then held his head down into the table.

He could feel a compression as the table creaked under his cheek.

"The master is expecting you," the man said through grunts. "Go inside, you don't want to be late for his welcoming, do you?"

Dante breathed angrily as he contemplated putting a bullet in James' shoulder blade.

He thought better of it.

James crashed through the doorway and landed in the water. His threshed around in the dirty substance and managed to get to his feet, but the dirt clouded his vision.  
He stared around and about for a moment and then grew deathly silent. He listened intently, and heard an unmistakable rumbling behind him . . .

Dante continued inside the facitlity, confused. Why was this happening so suddenly? Who was this man to command such arrogant followers?  
To take his brother's corpse and use it without a shame?

What is all of this here for?

Dante stopped again to take a moment. His body trembled ever so often. He could feel his own power moving within him relentlessly . . . begging for release, wanting to bubble up to the surface.

Dante chuckled. "I hate living with you. It's funny how you left, yet i still feel you here, within me: I was dead wrong to ever doubt you." He addressed his late Brother.

'Wait . . . what am I thinking? That's not me.'

He closed his eyes and took a moment to relax. He pushed away the thoughts that were slowly consuming him.

Right at the end of the tunnel, he was again faced with two doors.

Double doors in the front and a door on the left side.

Dante had already chosen to go ahead, but once again he heard the sound of gun shots, 'maybe more of those employees are waiting for me,' and he stood to the left, with his guns ready.

Slowly, he propped open the door. Pushing it open inch by inch, several figures suddenly braced forward and crashed the door open. Dante felt his wrist catch between the doors.

Ebony flew from his grasp, scattering forward on the floor as he tumbled forward, caught off guard.

"Jesus, what the-? " Dante grunted.

Before he could raise Ivory, a string of black rushed at him. It was a bullet. He thrust the stalk of his gun's barrel up, deflecting the projectile into a wall.  
Dante rushed forward and caught the figure's armed hand and gave him a punch to the abdomen. He fell on his knees groaning.  
Another rushed in after the first, but Dante clenched a fist with a flash of gold light. The second figure halted in his tracks, blinded.

Dante reverse kicked the man in the head, flipping him onto his back.

Subsequently, the recovered first figure closed the distance with a heavy left hook then a right knee to Dante's stomach.  
The slayer laughed a bit loud to provoke them even more, before he had his gauntlets flash again, but the figure adjusted back so a blaze couldn't blind it.

The second figure stood, drawing his pistol and cocking it.

"Now you're gangster, that's cute." He said, as the second figure shot off a few rounds. Dante shifted to left, then the right, moving in the blink of an eye, before bring his arm into the man's neck.  
He fell onto his back again, but was aided by his partner, who hit Dante in the back with a metal pipe.

"Ya need to be better then that." Dante smiled as he flushed his backside at her, his sudden movement causing her to awkwardly fumble with improvised weapon.

He flashed around behind her and delivered a kick to the tricep, holding her elbow and making her spin to her back.

She groaned in pain and dragged herself up, attempting to punch the slayer with her other arm in an attempt to disarmed him, but felt like she hit a semi-truck.

He could hear her whisper, "What . . ."

She attempted another attack, but he just scoffed and redirected her upon a wall, where she crashed onto her back then the ground, pinned to the floor by injury temporarily.  
Dante moved quickly with Ivory at the ready as his left hand shoved the first figure up at the wall. She grunted. The helmet she wore fell off while the gun was mere centimeters away from her chin.

Dante knew who this was. The light shone to reveal her face.

"J-jill?"

She spat up air as he let go. Falling to her knees, she breathed in for a moment, slowly seeing the face in front of her.

"Dante!?"

 **..Thank you for reading..**

 **Thank you very much Angel wolf for working with me.**


	3. Chapter 3 The ties that bind Updated

"What the-?" Jill tilted her head.

The silver slayer grimaced to himself as he slowly let go of her hands, then holstered his gun. Jill's squad mate moaned out of pain before standing to his feet, a red mark obvious on his cheek.  
It appeared to a companion wound on his temple. "You know each other?" The officer breathed heavily.

Jill was frozen, her eyes fixated on him. "I can't believe it . . ." was the only thing she was able to say. For a face she hadn't see in 9 years, Jill never thought they'd ever see each other again.

Dante eye's looked glazed for a moment, words weren't his preferred choice currently. He saw it on her wrist, the gift he gave her all those years ago.

"Yeah, I know her."

Chris pressed the barrel of his gun to Dante's temple. "Who are you? Explain it in ten words or less." Chris wasn't the type of man to let things go.

Dante yawned. He smacked his hand up and slapped the gun out of Chris' hand. "Easy there cowboy, I was hired to be here." Dante shrugged while the man scrambled for something else to use.

His eyes glanced at the other guy. "I take it the sound I heard earlier was you guys greeting the locals?"

Chris ultimately had to go grab his pistol, involving a production that was longer than he wanted it to be. Still, the grizzled hunter aimed straight at Dante's face, then gritted his teeth. "Give me a reason. I dare you."

"Any tough guy credibility went out the window a second ago, jackass." Dante could see it on his face. The man took himself far too seriously.

He scoffed, then shook his head. "I've always said people like you are a pain in the ass." He sighed. "Name's Dante. Don't wear it out, Mister Roid."

Chris didn't expect him to say that. " . . . What the hell did you just say?"

Jill immediately tried to diffuse the situation.

"Hey, hey! Chris stop. He's good." Jill placed her hand on the barrel, trying to get him to lower his gun. "Command said there would be someone here waiting for us. You can trust him, believe me."

Chris grimaced to himself as he investigated the trench coat merc.

"How've you been, sweetheart?" Dante sarcastically said to himself, walking ahead. He easily kept up with her.

"I-. . . I don't know what to say to you." Jill whispered to herself, but the slayer heard it nonetheless.

"Suit yourself." Dante raised his hands behind the back of his head.

Chris and the squad mate exchanged a glare at each other. Who the hell is this guy? That was the general thought. They accepted the situation and walked in formation.  
Jill caught on and followed their lead. The group remained silent as their boots stormed the concrete.

During the walk, Chris got a good look at the merc. He was clearly in his early to mid thirties. A slimmer build but appeared to handle his weight well.  
What confused him through, was what was with the red trench coat? It would make him easy to spot on the outside with all this snow.  
Not only that, there was a series of metallic sounds that emanated from his torso with every step. Chris did a double-take when he finally noticed the weird sword on his back.

The stranger was comfortable with it, despite being immense. It rested parallel to his spine and had a macabre feeling to it.

Chris pondered almost too much on the issue as the group came across a doorway.

The four of them found themselves in a large room. It looked like it used to store large weapons of some kind . . . Whose weapons were they? Meanwhile, noises started building up from the left.  
At first, it was like a pipe rolled on the floor, but suddenly, hordes of moans crept upon them. More zombies came into view.  
Chris aimed the pistol while their squad mate took a knee and aimed at their legs.

Redfield walked to the side of his party as the squad mate did much the same. From the new vantage points, they covered the others' blindspot as the biological ghouls lurched for them.

Jill kneeled down near a wall, then offered some cover fire with her own firearm.  
Nothing fancy, her weapon set on semi-automatic and stretched out the use of its current magazine for as long as she could.

Dante, meanwhile, walked right ahead into the open as four zombies walked a circle around him. Their foggy, lifeless eyes scrutinized him like crows waiting for their prey to die.  
He smirked as he thrust his arms down, creating a wind current that lifted up his jacket, and he unholstered two pistols.

A zombie ahead of him growled, leaking subcutaneous fat that had decayed from it's innards from it's maw.

A new hole blistered through it's forehead as Dante fired the first shot. From there, the slayer began a rapid fire conquest, pinpoint aiming a bullet into every single central nervous system he could find.  
The other's didn't even get a chance to help out as he made heads explode. The shrapnel burnt white hot as it rocketed from cadaver to cadaver.

Chris leaned up to the wall opposite Jill, and poked his head out. He saw every bit of the fire fight, but neglected a nearby Zombie whose attention had shifted to the others.

The squad mate unloaded a shotgun shell into the back of it's lumbering skull, and the two noticed more undead limping out of the shadows.

Valentine heard a squalid wail as she looked to her right. A zombie approached her flank, missing an arm.  
She took aim, but her rifle clicked empty. Her heart sped up, someone pulled the tape. She flipped the weapon around and used for melee.

It stumbled forward, nearly scratching her, as she spun out of the way and jammed the butt of the weapon into the side of it's head.  
She heard a cracking sound as a part of it's slimy, decomposed sludge-of-a-brain slid out onto the floor. It fell down, writhing about.

She ground her heel into the detached brain stem and it ceased activity. Jill drew a new magazine and reloaded her rifle.

"Nice." She whispered to herself.

Dante drew Rebellion and flickered through the horde all around him. His iron cleaved through each monster without a care in the world.

Jill sought new cover, drivng her own assault rifle and combat knife forward through the crowd.  
She hacked and shot the rotted flesh of all their attackers with all the force she could muster. At one point, swinging wide with the blade, she ripped through the abdomen of stumbled forward.  
She managed to get to a newer, safer vantage point without a scratch, although she was tired now.

The crimson slayer kept slashing around wildly, almost always connecting with an undead. The man had also one of his pistols and was using it to shoot immobile targets.

Like an old movie, shoot them through the head, they drop.

His sword swung down separated heads from the body. He shot those in the forehead, just to be sure.

Chris kept unloading bullet after bullet, taking head shots for the most part. He and the other guy kept providing cover, there no use wading into the field to get bitten.  
He was concerned about Jill, in fact, because _she was_ being careless.

Dante felt a sharp pain in his back as a lone hunter clawed its way into his back. It growled at him and flexed its claws out.

"Geh, welp that's smarts." He said casually before he flipped around and cut the monster right through its waist.  
A fountain of blood sprung to life as it burst into the air. Next came a gunshot as Chris took aim and fired one shot. Its head burst out across the ceiling.

"My dance card's full." Dante said as he looked over, expecting to see Jill as having taken the shot.

The slayer was caught off guard by Chris' smoking gun, and the two men shared a moment of gratitude.  
Dante smiled and saluted the man, while he just nodded at the devil hunter in return.

The inhuman dusted himself off, that was the last demon.

He chuckled. "That was fun; who's for Chinese?"

Jill lowered and rested her forehead in her palm. She sighed, then looked up and said, "Do you really think this is the time?"

The woman returned her eyes forward and the party made way for the stairs. They reloaded their weapons, except Dante. He didn't ever seem to need a new clip.

Reaching the darkened stairwell, she decried it, "Nothing."

Not any sound or any movement. It was, for lack of a better term, dead. Jill stood in front of them for a moment. She glanced over her shoulder to see Dante and her squad mate share a fist bump.  
Glowering a bit, Valentine then scanned over the area, coming to look down at the ground.

"What's wrong?" Chris asked, walking closely behind her. His eyes darted to a sudden clang. Out from the darkness, pale hands clamored towards them. More zombies started to gather again.

Redfield was agitated, "Where do they come from?"

"Other victims." Jill commented and followed him. "I don't want to find out either, so let's go. We need to find the source."

They were up now, several stories.  
Chris looked at the ground floor to see the others beginning to catch up to them. Some were stragglers, others were new arrivals. All of them hungry; hungry for them.  
Jill shook out her shoulders and jolted on to the task ahead . . . but something else has been on her mind from the moment she saw Dante.

"You guys head that way, I'll stay and take care of the uninvited. I'll look around and meet up with ya later." Dante waved his hand as he walked back the way they came.  
Jill reluctantly nodded her head affirmative, then reflected on the untimely reunion . . .

'I can't just say, 'hey honey, long time no see! Oh, by the way, you have a 9 year old daughter . . . Okay bye.' ' She gripped her gun tightly. "What am I going to do?" She said, holding her temple for a second.

Jill felt her legs lose balance for a moment, she was falling.

Chris had a quick reaction and caught her, holding her back-up.

"Okay, talk to me. You've been weird." He whispered, a tinge of worry.

Jill stayed like that, hunched over, breathing heavily in the arms of her friend. The many nights she spent crying in her room alone until she surrendered to sleep.  
The overwhelming feeling of loneliness, even though she made the choice to be a mother. Her parents had tried to talk to her about adoption, but she didn't want to hear about it.

Everything surged back to her like a poison.

"Talk to me Valentine, what happened? You look sick." Chris asked again.

However her own mind was drifting into another space, another era. "No, I don't think I'm okay. I mean- I don't know." She muttered. "A blast from the past, hehe. It's too much to take."

Chris rubbed her cheek gently, no longer caring about the mission at the moment.  
It was a shock to him indeed, to see his former S.T.A.R.S co-worker like this out of nowhere. Even tough ladies have their moments to break down after all.

"This isn't about that other guy, is it?" He asked."You can tell me, I'm a good listener."

Jill finally pulled herself together and pushed off from him. "A long story that you don't need to hear. Let's go."

Chris wasn't convinced at all. Like, not one Iota. But, he knew pressuring her to talk wouldn't do a damn thing.

They could hear them now, the crawling and scratching. Were they in the walls?

And as soon as these sounds began, they were accompanied by gunfire and sword slashes.

Dante had begun his fight.

.

.

.

An hour later, those that incessantly dwelled laid at rest. Dante turned his focus back to the mission; the real reason why he was here.

He traveled down the short path on the other side of the stairs, sensing something. He noticed many exposed wires hanging over the walls as he came close to the door. It sat at the end of the corridor.

The entrance before him made a sound, and the handle turned automatically, opening the door. He grabbed his guns in an instant. The room inside was almost totally dark. Dante slowly drew his broadsword from his back holster.

His blade whipped through the air, and he went inside. His eyes searched for the source. What he was feeling right now.  
The chamber itself contained vertical tubes filled with water, or at least what he thought was water. Hunters floated inside, stuck within some sort of incubated state.

On the opposite side of them, several computer monitors flickered, perpetually turned on. He checked one of the screens.

One thing was typed on it.

'Said the poor soul as lamented its fate.'

The second screen had longer words, though.

'You chased to save a blood so thin, the dark ship flies you cannot win, a pick you'll find upon the bones, then meet your doom upon the stones.'

Dante rolled his eyes.

"Very funny. Who the hell would read poetry in a place like this?" He whispered before he walked toward the automatic door on the other side.

It took him into a long corridor. Right at the front he saw a weird looking creature.

Its color mixed between purple and yellow, and it pulsated, looking like an overgrown maggot or parasite.

Dante rushed toward the creature. Just a few feet away, he weaved right and up, then slashed diagonally downwards with the blade.

The creature screeched, vomiting smaller bugs that appeared to another version of the monster. They were small ones, with larger needled limbs along the skin.

Dante smiled and slowly brought one foot up behind his back. He put all his weight on it and brought the sole down on top of one of it's offspring, squishing it into mesh.  
He brought his palm up, but the creature surprised him. It spit a strange enzyme at him and pinned his hands on the spot.  
The slayer didn't react fast enough as the mysterious glob stuck his left forearm to a wall. It was hot and sticky, reminding of the inside of a leviathan he once smote.

The small creatures started swarming all over him.

"Oh, this is just the worst." He said to himself.

Dante sidestepped to the right, just enough, and the creature's tentacles snapped inches away from his face. His free arm held Ivory to the lower torso of the entity.

He pressed the trigger.

It took several shots for the thing to back off him. He flexed his arm and yanked it free from the spit. "Feels like a wad of gum. Don't share anymore, please."

Dante then drove his blade forward in a stinger, piercing the insides of the creature's gushy wound.

The tip of the blade jutted out the other end. Black blood sprung all over, covering Dante head to toe, and staining the floor.

"I take it back, _this_ is the worst." Dante shook his head then rubbed the gunk out of his eyes. It seemed to decay at an enhanced rate, quickly evaporating into nothingness.

Soon, his hair was completely clean, as was his jacket and boots. The remainder of the substance took a bit longer to go away, but when it did, he was finally free.  
There were a few stains on his jacket still, and while the goop had largely deteriorated, it had done so into a gas, the aroma of which just about put him away.

"Sweet christ. Smells like something in a cemetery." At least, for now, he was clean.

But he felt violated, like . . . it would take at _least_ thirteen showers to feel better.

The man kept on chugging towards his goals, though he stopped midway. The corridor shifted in an incorporeal sense.

And there was the feeling again.

His heart belted at his rib cage, feeling like something was trying to punch it's way out of him. That wasn't normal.

Something here caused him to react like this.

He took a short, deep breath, and entered the lab. Immediately, his eyes darted all over the place.

There was a machine of some kind in the side of the room, with a keyboard connected to it . . . Odd, there didn't seem to be a monitor.  
Seven feet away, he saw something on the ground. A ruby-red amulet, graced with a silver casing. He bent over and grasped onto the heirloom tightly.  
Picking it up, he sensed the one he wore start to vibrate in response.

"Vergil . . ."

Behind the machine, there was a door slightly hidden. He calmly stood, then clenched his fists to the point of blood.

He sprinted around and delivered a flying roundhouse kick to the door. It blasted off it's hinges, flying across inside.

He hurried forward and scanned the walkway. A cold breeze stung his skin as the path ran about half way around a giant, cylindrical device.  
There were a couple of ladders and he could see at least two doors nearby.

He didn't waste any time. A short climb later over the first ladder and he was at the next door, immediately busting it down.

A man screamed inside.

Dante pulled both of his guns and shouted, "Don't make me show you which end of these guns make loud noises!"

The man in the white coat raised his hands up.

His fingertips were missing, and his body trembled so much, it was just plain annoying to watch.  
Dante holstered Ivory, then gripped the man's shoulder with his free hand, forcing him to turn around and stare him in the face.

He pressed Ebony into his temple. "Tell me, give me a reason not to blow your head off. I have some questions for you."

Dante exhaled his burning frustrations. The trembling man nodded.

He searched through his pocket and determined him as nonthreatening. The slayer then grabbed the picture from his coat pocket, shoving it right in front of the tip-less man's face.

"Ya see, this here is my brother. Now he died years ago, yet somehow, I'm hearing rumblings about someone wanting to use his remains. Why?  
How'd they even get to him? What kind of experiments were going on here?" He said, agitated and tired.

The man breathed, his eyes focused on the picture. "I-. . . I don't- I don't know how they brought him here, but-! But, I heard some talking here and th-there." He paused for a moment.  
"They said- er, something about the body excelling the fields we research here. To expand our knowledge of the world from from the stuff of ashes."

Dante cocked the pistol, remaining unimpressed, seemingly. The man panicked and began speaking a million miles an hour.

The pain of his severed fingertips didn't help either. How did he wind up like that anyway?

"No no no-no-no no no wait wait! Wait, du-ah, I heard th-that a super expensive mercenary named Mr. Death retrieved a demonic half breed's body from the ruins of Temen-ni gru.  
The guy brought the body here, and they did experiments on him! They used him for something else too, I'm not sure what! Its all for the master, and-that's-allIknow-Iswear!"

His words started to slur heavily. Dante observed as a small trail of fluid led down from the man's legs to a yellow puddle on the ground.

Gross.

Dante ground his teeth. Slowly he lowered his gun, his veins feeling like they were about to pop. "I'll say this once for you. Get. Out. Of. Here."

The man stood there, bleeding badly from his hands, dumbfounded.

" ** _Go_**!" Dante flashed his Devil Trigger.

The man screamed at the top of his lungs, and bolted away through the door. He didn't look back.

Dante rubbed both sides of his temples for a moment, in order to stay calm. He was standing in a pool of _urine.  
_ Anger took him over as he generated a red aura that seared away the substance from his boots. When the fluid was all gone, he punched through an iron pipe nearby.

"All right then." He muttered to himself, and left the dimmed room.

He descended levels and rooms; all parts of the building spoke confusion to him, but he kept going down. Down where his breath was the only sound.

More answers were needed. What the hell is this so called master is planning? Why associate with the Umbrella Corporation?

"It's my fault." Dante whispered. "I'm sorry Vergil."

.

.

.

Jill held her pistol at the ready, and walked through the deathly silent corridor. Chris sidled up next to her, every now and then turning around to ensure she was still there as he watched their back.  
The room wasn't silent for long . . .

A pack of undead crashed into the wall on their right.

Chris heard the unmistakable sound of slithering hunters among them.

Dust spit at them in the air.

Chris smelled sweat.

People had been here not long ago, but they couldn't be sure if they were the group that came with or some employees trying to escape.

"Jill, you sure you're good?" Chris attentively asked again. "You really don't look so hot."

She smiled, a fake one. She wasn't sure if Chris bought it. "I'm fine, I'm just worried about all of this."

And so, the two readied themselves for the horde finding its way to them.

Her senses kicked back in as the room filled with moans, and she took aim at the connecting hallway. When ganged up, the usually slow moving creatures rushed forward at the pace of a human sprint.  
Jill forced her eyes to focus, and she suddenly saw a nearby barrel with a hazmat logo on it. She looked at the barrel, then back at the hall.

She glanced to Chris, who was continuing to fire pistol rounds in vain. It might kill them, but . . . Ah, what the hell? She took the shot. The keg exploded in an instant.

The zombies stumbled right by it at perfect timing.

An all-consuming fireball engulfed each decaying Necro. Valentine was blown onto her back, feeling the scorching heat against clothes.  
Chris remained on his feet and quickly grabbed her hand, hoisting her back up on to her feet.

The sound itself was so loud, that it kept ringing in their ears. She saw him try to communicate something to her, but it just wasn't happening.

When the smoke cleared, they found a giant, spider-like creature crawling towards them through the hall.

Of it's many, many limbs, it's two front-hind legs raised up as the spider exposed its fangs.

"You gotta be kidding me." Chris groaned to himself as the spider lunged for them. It was only a few feet away from the duo, so it had it's anterior legs use it's millions of hairs to get a grip at their legs.  
He yelled out of some kind of fear, but made an attempt to kick the creature.  
The spider jumped back dragging them both to the floor as it prepared to crunch down on their legs. The thing's twelve eyes shined from Jill's flashlight as she got her gun lined up.

Closer, it pulled their legs to it's mouth, leaking some sort of strange, amniotic fluid. Had it laid eggs?

She struggled with her own pistol, as she had to put a clip in. The monstrosity constantly rocking her back and forth didn't really help speed things up, though it was good motivation.

"Jill!" He screamed, panicked. His own weapon was across the floor out of his reach.

"JILL!" He yelled even louder as it thrust his left leg into its gaping maw. It was about to mash it's pincers into his knee, probably to sever the lower limb altogether.

The clip clicked into place and she cocked the gun. Taking aim, she shot into it's body.

She kept shooting it as many times as it took. The gun had twenty bullets in one clip and was a personalized model.  
Each round was armed with an explosive chemical that made each bullet a fire round.  
As her finger pulled the trigger, it lurched back and squealed. Every shot tore and consumed its eyes, ripping through its anatomy.

It collapsed, allowing Chris to yank his foot free without injury. The hairs spasmed in and out of grasping, letting them go, picking them back up and threshing its limbs about.

After a small moment, it finally laid there, wholly dead.

"Christ!" Jill yelled, her hands still shaking.

Redfield scuffled to his feet, and ran a few feet away just to get himself away from the thing.

"A mutated spider . . . part zombie?" Chris asked, part-disgusted, part-curious.

The gloppy, viridescent blood seeped out into a pile of mush. It was a bit of a problem, as the spider's corpse now blocked their path.

Both were pretty grossed out, but a feeling of fear settled in as well. Something like a spider could be the size of a small bear in this building.  
What didn't let them lower their guard was that the monster's eyes kept moving, so the flashlight they used just reflected on all it's wiggling orbs.

They were completely unsure if the thing looked fully dead. From the other side, the squad mate came up. "Gah! -What the hell is this thing!?" He said.

Chris ordered him from behind the carcass, "No clue. Make sure it's dead."

So he complied, aiming his shotgun and shot four rounds into the things rear. It didn't react as its innards spilled onto the floor. Thankfully, there were no hatchlings, so it just bled green.  
He walked closer and shook its back . . . Yeah, that thing was dead.

"I think we're good, sir." He said, and climbed over to reach the others. Upon regrouping, the three of them stood back to back, covering each other.

As they began to depart, the creature began to stir.

It _wasn't dead yet!?_

Jill took out ammo and brought her hand behind her back for Chris to receive. He traded with her for some pistol shells, so he gave her rifle ammo.  
In a hurry they reloaded their guns and this time Jill chose to use a grenade. The squad mate moved forward and took the chance to cover for her as she unhooked the grenade off her belt.

The man shot the rising creature in the face again, knowing that at this range, the buck would only slow it down, instead of damage.  
Meanwhile, as it stayed put, the dark green explosive hopped along the ground . . . There was a brief shock-wave and the echo of a coarse, inhuman scream.

Well at least their current problem seemed to be over.

Suddenly, the babies started coming. All through the corridor, popping from cracks in the drywall, erupting like pimples.

The sound was unbearable, like someone put knives through the garbage disposal.

As they swarmed and swarmed, Chris was able to take down one of the large spiders as it jumped into his barrel. One perfectly good shot through its brain did that trick.

He unloaded numerous more rounds and hit the mark most of the time. After running out, the skilled operative ejected his magazine, then replaced it inside a second.

Chris scanned the room. "Come on."

Suddenly, a small one latched onto his leg. He screamed out of shock and quickly shook it off, stomping his boot into it's exoskeleton. It caved in against the force of his punt, splattering all over.

That seemed to be the last of them, for now . . . Wait, nope.

They jogged through the exit, desiring to conserve some ammo.  
Nevertheless, the squad member was forced to keep firing as the annoying little beasts just kept at it, continuing to spring forward after them. The advantages of having eight legs.

Eventually breaking out into a sprint, they were determined to escape the monsters and ultimately ran out into a large, industrial room with scientific machinery.  
Chris went over to check one of the machines, and after a few seconds, initiated the lock down sequence.

Another large one, about the size of a dog, lunged through the doorway as crunched closed. The mutant was bisected, its midriff crushed in the metal teeth like a mouth.

Thankfully, everyone was inside the safe, metallic room. It seemed that the spiders couldn't penetrate their way in, at least not yet.

With there finally being a quiet moment, Jill knelt down after noticing something on the floor.  
It was Umbrella Corp's sign, but something about it didn't feel right. There were lines and edges in certain spots.

"It's an elevator." Chris said as he pressed something and ran back to her.

After a second the ground beneath them started to shake and the elevator started to take them down . . . to hell.  
Only the section of ground where she stood appeared to move as the trio shifted. Above them, the roof started to close, sealing off the light briefly.

"Abandon hope, ye who enter." Jill looked over her shoulder to the glum expressions of her co-workers.

Chris replied, "The nightmare ends here."

The seconds they spent waiting felt like an eternity. This contraption around seemed safe; they hoped. It creaked slowly and rumbly for a bit, and then . . .

Abruptly, the gears gave a massive crank, and the box dropped a million miles per second, flashing a red light on the roof. The elevator car crashed hundreds of yards beneath the ground,  
seeming to fall endlessly until it finally ceased.

"Back to their old tricks I see." Chris stated. The three of them couldn't see anything but a room in the front to go through.

"I think we're in the right place. I mean we only recently learned about it." Jill said as they went down the steps and to the room.

The door opened automatically from the very moment the box ceased to travel.  
Inside, the room held a number of computers, and there were files scattered everywhere. Two doors sat to the right of the offices, and the other one to the left.

"Hey, come take a look at this." Chris called out as he read off something placed over the right door.

Their team mate stayed at the other end of the room to keep an eye out for them. No use in risking another spider attack.

"Myles, watch the elevator, okay? Let's hope we don't have to make a quick escape." Jill suggested.

"Roger that." Myles nodded and left the room.

Chris read the message aloud,

 **"Today, we examined the body. We were able to increase the success of waking Yamato, but we're still having . . . trouble.  
After the failed trials, we managed to isolate the usages of certain isotopes reacting in the bloodstream.  
So far, it has made the subjects gain power slowly as time goes by, pushing them well into the realm of 'superhuman.' We didn't think we'd collect these kinds of results so soon."**

Jill pondered for a moment, "What's Yamato? The new bio weapon we were briefed on?"

"Whatever it is, this doesn't sound good. What do you think it means by 'waking?'" Chris replied, and scanned the room behind the door.

From the very moment they stepped inside, a coffin-like, metal tube absorbed their attention. What bothered the duo most was that there was someone inside.

The lab had desks to the sides. Fancy-looking, hi-res cameras were placed upon the worktables, facing the tube.

Inside, the man possessed woefully pale skin, swept-back silver hair, veins all across his face that stretched to the back of his neck, and a black-sleeveless shirt. Down below, he had pants of the same color.

"What the- How the hell did he get in there!?" Chris proclaimed to no one, "He _can't_ be the one they talked about, we all just got here!"

Jill stood in front of the tube, "Dante!" In panic in her voice started to rise with each breath.

"Dante, what happened!?" She shouted and started to slam her hands on the cylinder. "Wake up! Come on, wake up!"

Her voice started to warp from the lump in her throat. Seeing him like this drove a frightening emotion through her, so she started to examine the tube.

Looking for anything, she wished to high-heaven that she could find a way to open it. Chris gritted his teeth and glared at the computer screen.

On screen one, a page was opened, free for edit, and he could delete anything typed in. He pulled the chair closer and sat down.

"Jill, this isn't him. He's not our red mercenary-'friend.'"

She kept watching over the moving water. Over on the side, she could see a number. It represented the temperature inside, as evidenced by the insignia of a degree.  
It took a moment for what he just said to sink in.

"What?" She looked over her shoulder.

"According to this, his name is . . . Vergil Sparda. Odd name. Anyway, he's some sort of test subject for something called the savior project." Chris replied.

Jill closed her eyes and heaved a long sigh, a quick meditation session to calm her racing heart.

She went over to his appropriated desk to see for herself, questions dancing through her mind. Who was Vergil? Why did he look exactly like him? Was he a clone?

Chris left the chair and gave her space to check. Meanwhile, he decided to check around the tube for anything else.

Once his gaze returned to the man, a gasp escaped his lips and he took a step back.  
The man's eyelids shot open. They were bloodshot and soulless, watching him like a Lion.

His eyes glowed uncommonly bright, shining a blue hostility to them. His irises were so light, it gave the impression that he only had pupils, which were stark black.

He stared wildly, uncomfortably . . .

The tube had let some steam escape as the body came into contact with oxygen. The machine appeared to deactivate on it's own.

"Uh, Jill!?" Chris said, worried. "He's alive!"

"What?"

A sudden siren blared to a flickering red light.  
One second went by and the test chamber opened spilling it's slimy contents all over. Chris backed up, but water still wound up soaking his shoes.

The awakened trembled slightly as he forcibly tugged and pulled at a cable connected to his chest and shirt.

With one, definitive heave, ripped the pipe from his chest. His shirt came loose with a simple rip as a mixture of blood and another, unidentifiable yellow substance gushed out.  
Steam rippled through the air, and he easily stood on his two feet, continuing to walk forward effortlessly as the hole in his chest closed.

The liquid released began to melt through the metal, eating away at the floor ravenously.

Jill stood up and aimed at him out of training, determined to defend herself and her partner if the situation called for it . . . In spite of who it looked like.  
Chris tried for his weapon, reaching his hand out to the holster, but Vergil disarmed him far too easily.

He rocketed forward in a blur and crushed the gun in his left hand, then raised his enemy off the ground by his throat. Chris felt him tighten the hold.  
For a moment or so, he wasn't hurting. Vergil hoisted him around as though he were a trophy to be displayed.  
Chris began choking as he struggled. His feet kicked at thin air, desperately trying to loosen Vergil's death grip.

His vision began to cloud, with blackness closing in.

Jill didn't even think about speaking. She grasped the shotgun laying against the desk and aimed right at his forehead.

"Forgive me Dante."

A loud bang echoed in the lab. Jill expected half of his head to be damaged, or at least some kind of an affect long enough for Chris to free himself.

Vergil wasn't even scratched, he stood still, unbroken from his focus on Chris.  
Like the shrapnel just went straight through him. There wasn't even a drop of blood.

Jill's went slack-jawed, staring at the pieces of buck as they fell from his face. Color drained from her as she looked wide-eyed at him. "Wh-what- . . . What in the world . . . !?"

Chris groaned and struggled more. Jill succeeded in only one regard, she got Vergil's attention.

In one fluid movement, he slammed her partner on his back onto a metal desk and dragged him along, smashing him through the various desk appliances and the computer screen.  
At the end of it, the devil threw him at the table's edge with considerable force, sending him careening into the wall countless feet away.  
Redfield crashed into it face first, nose broken, unconscious. He fell to the ground bloodied and bruised.  
Drawing her knife and lunging forward, she reached midair when something bizarre showed up. Two swirling cyan broadswords made of some type of energy flew her way, barely touching her chest.

The incorporeal blades shattered on impact and the vibration shot her down. She smacked on the counter, opening a cut on her temple against the desk's metal frame.

Pain started to grow through Jill's back. A stronger, more physical blade jammed inside of her chest . . . she gasped for air. The woman stared at the ceiling.

Her mouth flooded with the bitter taste of iron.

A shadow engrossed her body. Was it death? The grim reaper or an agent of god? No.

Vergil stood over her, his shadow maddening.

He glowered past her eyes, deeply reading her very soul. "You. You smell like a demon . . . _His_ smell." He spoke to her in a disaffected growl, akin to a cold machine.

She struggled to speak through the blood, coughing significantly.

"Aheuh- What-! -What do you mean!? Who are you?" She stumbled through gagging.

Yet . . . the man stayed silent and floated by her. He slid through the doorway. Leaving her to the wheels of confusion.

 **Thank you for reading...**

 **Special thanks to Angel wolf for sticking with me, and helping look over things and edit them.**


	4. Chapter 4 Sapphire Eyes Updated

**Chapter 4 - Sapphire Eyes**

* * *

The wind was brisk, with puffs of fog escaping from most everyone's lips. The wind breezed toward the south as warm, red and yellow leaves swirled around tree branches.  
A woman sat alone on a bench and observed content children playing. Meanwhile, their families watched carelessly from afar. There wasn't a need to worry.

She couldn't help but to smile when she looked toward the parking lot.

There was that strange, silver hair glisten from the sunlight. "Heya Jill." A voice called out. Her eyes bolted as she focused on where they currently were. Her mind was off in space . . .

She should really work on breaking that habit.

Wearing the usual red coat that came to his knees, this time he also wore it with a pair of navy blue jeans and a long-sleeved white shirt layered beneath it.  
His dark boots went together rather well with the stripped down attire. Well, more than normal, anyway. The fabric was smooth and fit comfortably, courtesy of the woman's softener.

Those clothes didn't stop sound of clinking metal and leather holsters jostling around.  
She knew it was just weapons hiding under that stylish coat.

"Hey you!" She waved back. Her heart always skipped a beat when she saw that beaming face. He just exuded that calm coolness every man wanted.  
The silver slayer took a seat next to her and placed his arm casually on the bench behind her neck.

"Sorry I'm late. Got caught up in . . . traffic."

Jill slightly laid on his shoulder. With a smile she joked, "Come on, who goes out on a date with a suite of weapons and biker boots?"

"Sorry fancy face, I have a tight-ass boss who'll kill me if I don't take the necessary tools. 24/7 job."

He had such a way.

"Poor silver fox." She chuckled to herself, playing with his cheeks. He didn't seem to mind as she leaned in to kiss his nose.

She left a red outline of her lips. "Oops, ya got a little-" She said, motioning to the gloss left behind.

He just wiped it off on his jacket, where it disappeared completely. Maybe that's why he wore it too.

She giggle to herself, "Ready to leave. You promised to take me to that club of yours."

She felt him grab her and shift her onto his lap.

"And I always keep my promises. Lets go." He declared, hoisting her up in his arms easily. He purposefully jostled around and gave a mock spazzed-out look.

She delightfully laughed heartily, knowing he'd never really drop her.

 ** _Later on.._**

The club played a gentle song at last, after so much time that it grew to be nightfall. It was a delightful little tune, called Fly Me to the Moon.

It was a great atmosphere, more like a classy nightclub with jazz music and a bar. Any number of expensive drinks could be purchased, all in whatever color the ladies wanted.  
The pianist crooned his best Sinatra and the patrons cheered him on, impressed with his heartfelt accuracy.  
At least the couples were discreet about their promiscuity, often subtly hinting to the other and then leaving either for the car, the alley or one of the bathroom stalls.

Inside the place were modern pieces of artwork that served as attractive background fair while the lights were dim but not cheap, they heightened the cozy atmosphere.

"May I?" He held his hand in front of her with his usual seductive smile. Jill nodded happily, leaving their booth and allowing him to lead her to the dance floor.

He moved his left foot backward in a smooth motion, sliding across the slick floor. She slid her right foot forward, chasing his retreating leg with hers, like a fox on the hunt.

Dipping forward and looking into her eyes, his fingers tightened on her ribs as his left foot came forward again, surprising her and chasing it back.  
They stopped, toe to toe, and he pulled her hips in close to his.

She felt something very firm push up against her. It made her wrap her legs around him more.

"Oh . . ." she blushed at the development.

He just kept beaming that charming half-smile at her, knowing she was enthralled by ever second of it. Threatening to brush his lips against hers, he looked to the left, and then to the right. She mimicked him, turning hers opposite, to the right, then to the left.

He pushed her away as though she were too terrible, yet so wonderful; to be near, yet be held on to. The man kept a graceful hold of her left hand with his right, catching her as their arms pulled taut, then spun her out and away.

She put a little extra extension on it, as if to say she was leaving for good, only to be reeled right back in, with him unable to give her up.

She fell into him, his strong arms wrapping her tight, protecting her before casting her out again.

She returned to him again, resting her head on his shoulder, and just enjoying the feeling of him holding her.

It was the moment that she realized they were, in a word, perfect. And they'd only been going out for a month.

She couldn't get enough of that smile. He made her see life so differently.  
Not everything was gloom. Not everything was study, study, work all the time.

Jill lifted her head to look at him, and the two just stood like that for a moment. She felt him again, swollen. He just outright moved in for it, kissing those supple ruby lips.  
She'd never felt his tongue before, neither had he hers. When it was over, she exhaled and smiled at him, breathless.

The song had ended fifteen seconds ago. They broke the silence, going back to sit down and get a drink. And the crowd cheered.

. . .

* * *

That was the happiest I've ever been. I was in love, I always had this image in my mind of the two of us getting married someday. Heh, guess you can't count on happiness, can ya?  
I kept feeling that way until I took the news of him leaving. _That's_ a moment I'll never forget. It happened so suddenly, the change. One minute he's here, the next . . .

I heard people called it 'Temen-Ni-Gru,' or some such gobbly-gook. Anyway, he returned different. No longer was he the always-happy Tony. Sadness hid behind his every word.  
A horrifying emptiness in his eyes . . . he'd give me a gentle smirk every now and then. It wasn't the kind of smile you'd get from a nice day.

It was a hollow expression, the kind when all of that worry would rob a security of all of its merits. So I just returned the favor with a light nod as his eyes drifted off . . .

He was holding onto a black glove, like it's something really precious to him. He even used it every once in a while, despite the tear." This is the last thing I have." This is his answer to me.  
I never knew why. He refused to tell me what he was talking about, but I comforted him as best I could. It seems to me he wanted to cry his heart out, he just didn't allow himself to.

He just stayed there, his head resting in my lap and his eyes closed. I played with his hair, kissed his forehead, and cared for his scars while I whispered words to make him feel better . . .

* * *

. . .

"One day. Can't we spend just one day?" she whispered, holding his hands and halting him on the spot. "-Before you leave."

She saw the pain, the guilt etched into his face. The silence floated around them, everything frozen in midair. Jill gazed up, meeting the tender, softness of his blue eyes.  
He took her hand in his, the finger-less glove scratching against her skin. He looked deep behind her eyes, and so they stayed like that. They gazed at each other with mutual feelings.

Passion, longing, lust; it was all there. Slowly, her eyes lulled shut, and she waited for his lips to descend on her own.

But they never came.

He nestled his finger under chin and pulled her eyes up.

"Believe me, Valentine. Leaving you? Hardest choice I have to make. I want you to be safe. I want you to be happy." He nearly choked.

It was the first time that exterior cracked for her.

Like most encounters, Jill could have expected him to shrug . . . but he didn't. He just remained glum.

Gently, he almost cupped her cheek, but thought better of it, and instead brought her closer. "I had to find you. I promised a friend I would say hello to you. Now, I have to say goodbye."

The rain kept falling, and falling and falling . . .It never let up.

. . .

We _did_ have an agreement. We'd spend one day together and go our separate ways after that. I recalled all the ways he would mouth off about some nonsense.  
All of it annoyed me for the longest time, yet even in what was said, it felt welcoming.

It was funny how one person could brag so much about purchasing a run-down storage space that was to be converted into an office . . . I could still recall the imaginations I had.  
A little chewed up coffee table with furniture that's so cheap it would be the kind that cheapskates would avoid using. I still smile at the thought.

However, those conversations always collided into dead ends.

. . .

"There are some things in the world you're better off not knowing!" That was what he said to me one of the last times we had a fight.

As if Giant Spiders, Lizards and Zombies were insane enough to admit exist.

Later that night, I didn't forget how it felt . . . Just to embrace being lost in the moment.

Isara was the product of that night. Or I suppose many, I'm not so sure which night myself.  
Maybe that night, maybe the week before . . .

The last thing I would think about during and after our intimate moments.

I wished he explained more of the reasons. Why is it no good for us? What was so wrong with me that he had to leave?

It took so much from me to try and get over him, but now I have a reminder. I- . . . I see his face in our daughter, and the overwhelming feeling of being a single parent. I had depression.  
I didn't tell anyone. I'm not the kind of person to bleed my emotions out in front of people. I don't need sympathy from anyone. I hold on my own.

I stayed strong and recovered with the help of a therapist, for her.

Still, many nights, I remember him and I end up curled in the bed, knees tucked up against my chest. I feel everything, from the ache in my chest to the fear in my head.  
I couldn't move on. I didn't feel like getting involved with anyone after him. I just focused on raising our child. So we're bound for the rest of our lives.

Either together, or . . .

I told her about him. I couldn't just keep quiet. It's not fair for her, besides, sooner or later she would've started asking about . . . well, someone.

I would put her to bed and sing the song I learned from him. "In the field so green and so free, seeds gaze up. The clouds keeps them from the light,"

I told Isara her grandmother Eva used to sing this to her father, when he couldn't sleep. For that reason I end up in tears when I sing this part.

"My young seeds once again will look up to the sky, and I know they will grow strong."

Slowly I begin to understand more that Tony/Dante was not normal. I never fully knew him, he kept out so much that I didn't even realize existed. I mean he was strange when I first met him but . . .  
I don't understand who I fell in love with anymore. Or was I just a teenage attachment at the time?

I couldn't tell.

However, I know it was hard to get over him and just focus on my child.

Our daughter doesn't get sick like normal children at all, I don't recall a day where she had a bad fever, or anything that resembles the flu, even when I knew I would've transferred it to her by accident.  
Fire doesn't burn her, I watched her touch the stove for five seconds and the marks disappeared in one. It doesn't even leave a scar in her skin.

I'm scared for her.

I don't want anyone to take her from me and I _will_ do anything to protect her.

I tried to find him, tell him about this, but- . . . I couldn't.

 **...Thank you for reading...**


	5. Chapter 5 Axis of False Angels Updated

**Chapter 5 - Axis of False Angels**

* * *

Jill felt the cold water beneath sting her skin. Her head felt heavy to bear.

"Huh?" She laid still for a moment, trying desperately to make sense of what happened.

Someone.

Coughing . . . ?

"Chris!" She shouted and pulled herself up in a hurry, she checked her chest for a wound but there was nothing.

Almost like the blade had cut through her spirit but not her body.  
Still, she was having trouble breathing. Something made her chest feel heavy.

"I swear, I don't even know what's going on anymore . . . Those blue blades." Jill's shaky palms met her sweaty forehead. "I'm losing my mind."

She gripped the corner of a nearby desk and hauled herself up.

Her eyes gazed around the lab, looking for any sign of that man. Apart from some gunk left over from the tube, nothing . . .

She limped toward her partner, whom continued to lay face down.

"Chris! Chris, you okay?" His fingers twitched and a loud gasp followed. Chris started coughing uncontrollably.

He lugged himself onto his back, managing to use what little strength he had left.

Jill stayed close, placing her hand on his forehead. The temperature was burning, and the heartbeat was irregular.

"Easy, easy!" She said, then looked him in the eye, "Hey; you are going to be okay."

She noticed red prints on his throat, the outline of a hand. It took him one agonizing minute to finally breathe normally.  
Looking over his shoulders for other wounds, there were just a few bloody scuff marks.

Didn't look like he was losing any blood.

Chris crawled back to the desk wall and set his back against it, tears trickling down his left cheek involuntarily.

"Y-Yeah." He choked. It was most likely something he couldn't control, "We-. . . We have to warn the others."

Jill brought her hand to her earpiece and called, "It's Jill: Respond."

Just white noise.

The Static persisted for several seconds.

"This is Jack. I hear you Jill."

"Be very careful! Some . . . 'thing' escaped from the lab. I'm not sure what he is but . . . He's really strong and fast, probably a new type of B.O.W. Do _not_ engage till we figure out a strategy."  
Jill looked back down at her partner, intent on helping him get back on his feet.

"Copy that." Jack replied, "Anymore details?"

"Warn the others." She said, "Out."

"Out."

Jill held onto her partner and helped him to stand. Both of them knew they had to stay strong and finish the job, no matter what.

Chris was still shaking autonomically. Somehow, he managed to walk normally and slowly focused his breathing.  
His face was bright red, but no worse for wear.

Myles ran through the door with his gun at the ready, "Hey!"

His call was just in case any other enemies were still here.

Thankfully not.

"Are you guys alright!?" The amount of confusion in his voice was all that Jill needed to know about the situation, "Who was that guy?!"

He'd seen him leave, but hadn't the courage to face him.

Jill gritted her teeth. "We're going to need some backup."

For her, the man from the tube looked freakishly similar.  
Not sure what to make of this, she questioned herself . . .

Did Sergei work on cloning too?

What of that name, Vergil?

Enough.

She had to find Dante and talk to him. He had to know something about all of this, right?

Is it possible he was involved somehow?

'I don't want to be in the dark anymore.' She thought.

"Go on ahead." Chris answered without hesitation, "Myles and I will investigate more around here, we'll try to find out more of this 'Yamato' and the savior.  
Report back of anything new you find your way, okay? Stay safe. By the time we're done, I think I'll catch my breath."

Jill ejected the current magazine from her pistol, revealed it to be half empty, so she plugged it back in.

"Roger that." But still, she froze for a moment, thinking back of a story she heard.

"Uh, hey- Chris?" She quickly asked.

"Yeah?"

"Did you ever hear about the legend of Sparda?"

Chris appeared confused a bit at first, but he crossed his arms and thought about it for a second.

"Well, I heard something about a 'devil-man.' It's some old Armenian folklore about a guy rebelling against his own kind, and he did something that closed the gate between our world and his.  
What does that have to do with anything? You think that guy's the one in the myth?"

Jill sighed and looked down at her fingers.

"It's just, there _was_ mention of a blade Sparda used occasionally. They called it Yamato."

Her statement made his eyes flare.

"Hold it!" He pointed at her with his index finger. "Are you seriously implying we have an _actual demonic issue going on here?_."

It caught him by surprise, the mere notion.

She shook her head a bit, annoyed.

"I know it's crazy, but don't you think that maybe it's a possibility? Perhaps they're trying to recreate the myth into reality. Our reality."

"Oh good lord." He looked up at the ceiling, burying his face in his glove.

Chris was silent, his mind going through their situation.

"It's not too far fetched, man." Myles commented. "Think about it. Raccoon city happened because they wanted to recreate all those old horror movies into a viable weapon."

Fair point.

Chris's face changed into defeated.

"Fine, I'll pretend we're having this conversation . . . Which we're not. I'll look around and see what I can find out."

He just walked away.

Jill reloaded her gun and walked out of the lab.

Feeling guilty just a bit, she looked to the ground.

"I'll stay safe. Don't worry." She liked Chris a lot, enough to risk almost the world.

"I think there's another elevator close by, so you can try going up." Myles followed behind and pointed towards the right side of the small hall.

Jill checked the electricity and smirked.

"I can work with this." She removed the small spot that protected the wires and started working there with a screwdriver.

She messed around with the wires until she heard the sound of mechanical gears activate.

The elevator itself could be heard cooing to life, humming its way down to her.

"Good luck, Valentine." Myles said as she walked inside the small space.

"You too." She nodded and pressed the button, adding as the doors closed, "Stay in contact. You can't trust these halls."

.

.

.

Dante shook his head as another zombie fell under his sword.

"You'd make for decent ravers. At least then people around you would pretend you're fun at parties."

He faced off with a metal double-door. Lightly, he could see steam escaping from beneath it. As soon as he came closer, the handles turned, opening the door for him.  
A cold breeze greeted him inside. It was just a gust of air escaping the room. It was completely blank white, full of water vapor.  
Ice cubes were scattered on both sides of his vision. Right before him, he saw a machine, then a big glass window overlooking an industrial cavern-hall below.

Most likely dry ice. Have to refrain from touching anything.

"One hell of an ice chest." He backtracked and took a breath. Bending his knees, the slayer prepped himself, then sprinted at full speed toward the glass and jumped.

Glass shattered all over, though Dante managed to land on his feet anyway.

Bits of loose glass rolled along his trench coat, showering the gridiron floor.

There was a moving sideshow that bordered both sides of the hallway. Upon it, he saw displayed armors belonging to old templar knights, some gold and blue in color.  
He counted seven, three on the left and four on the right. He could sense a strange power within them. It didn't feel right for some odd reason.  
Whatever they were or what they were for, he couldn't say. However, he did know that he had to find out why some teutonic/ambiguously-european jerk had his hands on them.

"So, you finally came." Someone spoke, followed by a clap, "Son of Sparda."

The man didn't use a speaker, but Dante still heard him very clearly.

He looked up to his left and saw, on the other side of a glass pane, a man in his late forties observing him.

His arms were behind his back, and large grin painted his face.

"I only reserve dances for the ladies." Dante said, "I'm sorry for taking my time, I had no idea you were so flaming; Sergei?"

He presumed, though he was sure it was him.

Sergei started pacing slowly, back and forth.  
He was dressed in a cyan, full-body coat with red cuffs, as his silver hair hung loosely.

"Tell me Dante, don't you wish to see Vergil again?"

"Don't you wanna know what the pavement feels like against your teeth?"

The smirk vanished from Dante's face, he narrowed his expression and gritted his teeth.  
Sergei chuckled to himself, for he knew he just hit a nerve.

"Can't handle the reminder huh? How you left your own brother to die alone in that place." Sergei pointed down at him, his voice ringing out in the dark, "Thanks to you, all of _this_ happened."

. . .

"Am I . . . being _defeated!?_ " The halfling whispered, looking down at rushing, unearthly water.

"What's wrong? Is that all you got?" He heard his brother taunt.

The place started to shake; multiple screeching sounds followed. Vergil saw it, the portal would seal up any minute now.

He looked back only to see Dante ready to take him down, despite demons crawling all around.

"The portal to the human world is closing Dante . . ." He tried to persuade, "Because the amulets have been separated."

Vergil staggered around, not really wanting to expend any more energy.

"Lets finish this Vergil." Was the response, "I have to stop you, even if that means you die . . ."

The two stared each other down, the slayer adament they finish their business, regardless of peril.  
So it was vengeance that drove him . . . How sad that it'd come down to this.  
There was a time the two brothers were inseparable, only blinded by women or power.

Now, the time for sharing glory was over.

Vergil wasn't even there when mother had died. Eva was alone that fateful night, save for a helpless Dante.

He sighed in anger and bolted forward, the two speeding to meet for a final conclusion.

It ended Dante's way.

He feel to his knees, his own brother's blade cleaving through his side, while the Force Edge missed.  
Clever bastard had gone to the side.  
He knew Vergil would think myopically, aiming only straight and forward.

Their father's broadsword stabbed through the silt.

He almost lost hold of the amulet, though he managed to catch it.

That was it, he couldn't fight anymore. Dante had beaten him, somehow.  
He wobbled around, stumbled backwards as he clutched onto the amulet.

Dante looked at it, content he'd defeated the one man who'd kept haunting his memories of that day.

"No one can have this. It belongs to a son of Sparda!"

The crimson mercenary ran to him, and almost ran through the edge of Yamato.

"Leave me and go, if you don't want to be trapped in the demon world." Vergil said, demons steadily approaching.

Feeling a second wind, he darted past his younger brother into action.

Though he was slower and still lurched about, the dark one managed to kick a silver creature and slash another with his thin blade.  
It all happened with one movement, so fluid despite his injuries.

Dante was forced to watch, his brother choosing to remain in hell. The struggle tugged at hist chest. He couldn't see him die, and so his fingers started to twitch.  
He ignored that warning from Vergil as he took hold of rebellion with his right hand.  
The slayer sensed that horrible feeling once again . . . Loneliness. He drew his guns and his eyes darted around to understand more of the situation.

As nightmares of the highest order encroached upon his sibling, he sprayed a litany of shells, destroying their forms.

He went up close, intent to grab his brother out of the way.

The rumbling grew worse; far worse.

Raising his left hand, Vergil abruptly slashed through it, leaving a slit in his glove.

"Get out of here you fool!" He shouted, summoning his blue allies.

Multiple blades came down, showering the creatures off the way, taking them down to where they belonged. Sensing an onslaught, he bounded again for the edge, where others greeted him.  
Using the summoned swords to block scythes and other attacks, big brother neared the cliff, slashing and gashing his way through.  
Reluctanctly, Dante pulled Force Edge out of the water and looked at his twin one last time. The look in Vergil's eyes was immortalized inside him.  
Time itself stopped as he ran toward him, before it's too late . . . But he couldn't reach him.

Dante saw his last family member hurl himself over, dragging the demons with him, vanishing into darkness.

The horror of what happened; of what he _allowed_ to happen.

Again.

At the hands of demons.

. . .

Dante clenched his fists and felt his chest hammer up and down.  
He forced the recollection away.

"Enough with the mystery! Start explaining! How do you know about me; about my brother? What do you want from me?"

His ears caught the sound of heavy movement, like a piece of raw steel colliding with the ground.

Dante whirled around with his sword drawn, it clashed with a lance aimed at his back.  
He pushed it up and snapped it to the side, pushing the pike to the metal ground.

All of the Knights jumped off the spinning sideshows, gathering around him.

Animated to move as if they weighed nothing, they all clanged against the steel floor. That's why they felt wrong.

They were possessed by spirits.

"We've already completed our research. Look at the beauty we were able to create from your dear brother. An axis of false angels at my beck and call!" Sergei bellowed.

"When I kill these things, I'm breaking my no-human rule on you." Dante yelled back.

Two of the knights swung their lance at Dante's head, attempting to smash his face in with their pole arms.  
He lowered down, and the weapon dove into the reappeared glass casing of the presentation booths.  
Shards flew everywhere, and Dante took the chance to drive his blade into the back of the knight closest to him.  
It exhaled a strange, inhuman wheeze as the weapon re-emerged out it's stomach. He pulled Ebony, using it to shoot the other one.

Half it's helmet blew to pieces, and the thing staggered back, but to his surprise, this one protected itself with the shield and the other still survived his hit.

The lance came down again.

Dante rolled to the side and felt his veins surge, a blackening power recalled.

The Knight who failed their attack attempted a followup stab. In a moment, the overlong spear impaled Dante through his lower chest, and he gagged on blood.  
He shifted back, catching the lance with his right hand. Gritting his teeth, his eyes began to bleed a scarlet menace. Sergei got an uneasy feeling as he watched.  
Grasping the hilt of his sword still lodged within the false angel's back, he tugged and tore at the demon's innards without care.  
Roughly scraping the blade against it's cavities and skin-like armor, he ripped the weapon free with a final shank.

Seizing the opportunity, he crushed his fingers into the metallic javelin, feeling the warm, wet blood ooze along his skin. The stench of iron within his nostrils.  
He hated getting impaled, and for whatever reason, it happened to him often.

Calling upon his darker half, the man became the devil, and used that strength from below to pick up the knight by it's own weapon.

Bathed in the wrath of his father, the slayer thrashed the his assailant against the wall, then back toward another knight.

On the second crash, the beings broke apart, cracking away into chunks of glowing, amorphous light, then fizzing into nothing.

Dante heaved the lance out of chest and feel to the ground on his knees.

Before him stood six more, including the one he'd stabbed.

Piece o' cake.

The slayer lunged forward, a wild look in his eyes as he swung Rebellion around to streak off the injured knight's head. In an instant, the suit fell to pieces, it's attempt shield falling to the ground.  
Sly devil had jumped the dreadnaught. Another knight responded with a quick thrust of his lance.  
He wouldn't fall for that one again. Dante quickly dashed over to the right, and promptly brought his blade forward with a raged stinger.

The Knight blocked Rebellion with his shield, then shoved him off.

He saw the other knights flow around in a formation, this time charging their lances toward him.

"Puppets." He remarked.

Swinging his hands, he channeled an electric current through his blade, a force aimed at them with zeal.

Releasing it with an ignition burst through the air, two shields broke, and the others fell to the ground stunned.

The lance came around again, looking to smash Dante's abdomen and right into the wall.

He rolled on the ground to the side, slamming his the flat of his sword like a baseball bat into the entity's back.

The inanimate shattered away.

The next knight lunged forward at Dante, but he just reverse-gripped Rebellion into an upward, almost crescent-shaped swing.  
Lifting the knight upward off the floor, he followed with the drawing of Ebony and Ivory.  
A dozen or so bullets riddled the thing's chest by the time it crashed back down. The impact itself tore apart the fragile armor.

Rebellion lifted upward to parry a sword strike.

After completing the motion, he brought his gun up next to the blade.

Dante smirked as he pulled the trigger against the cold metal, and blasted the enemy Knight's blade off.

Shoving Rebellion forward, the slayer growled as he completely impaled the last knight before him.  
It didn't react fast enough as Ebony blasted its helmet clear across the room.

And the lead angel was done.

Gone were the silver and gold behemoths that stood in his path; there laid the rubble of an idiotic project.

"God damn it boy, you will be the end of me . . ." Sergei muttered.

Dante smiled as he lightly spun Rebellion around to rest on his shoulder in a playful manner.

"Are you not entertained?" He quoted some movie he couldn't remember; Gladiator, probably, "I doubt it, I'm the first thing people notice in a room."

Dante then tossed Rebellion horizontally upward to crack the glass.  
The damn thing nearly shattered as the his bluecoat opponent lurched back.

A nearby door flung open as dust puffed about.

Once it cleared, Jill came in, a worried expression painted her face.

"What happened here?"

"Why're _you_ here? Go back to your team." He casually said as she arrived.

"Make yourself welcome." Sergei sarcastically waved at her. "Lord knows he has."

She saw the sword impaled through the glass and the nervous man standing a foot behind it.

"What's going on?" She raised an eyebrow. "What's with the piles of metal?"

She took notice of the crumpled nights as they began to glisten fade away, fading to dust, then gone . . .  
What the hell? She had never seen _that_ before.

Sergei laughed and knelt slightly to use a microphone on the clear white desk.

"You're so naive, to the point I almost feel bad for you. But I would want to know if I had sex with a demon."

Anger slowly started to boil within her.  
Swiftly she raised her gun and aimed at him.

"I am authorized to shoot you on site." She screamed at him, "What the hell is going on here!?"

For a split second she looked at Dante's chest. Hole shit! He was _covered_ in blood, and his shirt torn asunder by something big and cylindrical. She finally took notice of a discarded lance on the ground.  
Aaahhh, that makes sense now. How the hell did he survive that!? She saw it in his face. His expression was slightly worried, hidden under the trademark bravado.

"Say something!?" She urged their target.

Sergei chuckled, enjoying the scene.

"You think you have the stones to shoot at me, little girl?  
What you might call bullshit in your American way, I call facts. Lord Mundus will be pleased to know we found a new one of Sparda's brats to eliminate." He said and pointed at Jill.

Dante sighed in amusement.

"Ahehe, now I know you're crazy. Their were only two, numb nuts. Seriously . . ." He paused midway, after he realized the name he just heard.

"Mundus!?"

Jill's face turned red in seconds.

"You mean . . . ? My child." She whispered, but her voice got louder. "What are you implying? That my child is some demonic exorcist movie waiting to happen?"

"Get over yourself, you insipid little quim. Leave the drama for your reality television stars. Farewell. For now, maggots . . ." Sergei let out a cacophonous laugh as he faded from view.

Dante lunged for his sword, breaking the glass high above in a display of Wesker-like abilities. It was the only thing she could compare what she saw him do to.  
He got into the room, and banged his hands upon the door. Howling for the Russian prick to get back here.

After sometime, he dropped back down, walking slowly away as the whole thing hit him.

Dante looked at her again, mouth half agape, an expression mixing shocked and disbelief.

They stood there in silence, waiting for one of them to say something, anything.

Finally, she mustered up something.

"I'm sorry."

That wasn't good enough.

"You have a kid?!" He bombarded her with the question.

Jill's mouth opened, but nothing came out, like words refused to obey her.

She couldn't look him in the eye.

"I . . ." She bit her lip and looked down.

There was this overwhelming sense of shame and grief.  
He should've known by now, was this her fault.

"Don't give me that pensive crap!" He yelled and shook her shoulders, "Do we, do we not have a child!? _Were you pregnant?_ "

She gazed into his now-mature eyes.  
They were still blue like the ocean. Her favorite shade in the world.

"Yes." She said, and like that, he let go.

Dante slumped back, almost falling over. The look on his face was unlike anything she'd ever seen before.

"I never imagined this would have happened. I didn't think I'd ever see you again." She said it quietly, looking back at him, "We were careful."

She heard Dante's breath quicken a bit.

Her lips moved to a slight smile.

"You have a daughter."

He turned away.

His expression was blank, she couldn't read anything from him.  
Dante was helplessly unsure of what to make of his thoughts about it. How _should_ he feel about this?

Part of him was happy.

He had a child with an ex he still kind of cared about. He could have a small, strangely little disconnected family.

On the other hand, this meant Jill had lied to him. Thanks to that child, she would be dragged into his demonic world kicking and scream.

All the danger that lurks in it . . . A world she knows nothing about.

"Are you alright?" Jill asked.

"Yeah, yeah . . . No. No I don't think so." He said, "I didn't think we would- We were just kids. Why didn't you try and find me?"

She looked at him silently, she didn't know what to say.

So he just walked away, looking for the exit.

Following him, they entered the side room, in what it seems to be a place for employees to rest.  
The place wasn't filled with dried blood or some destroyed zombies, strangely.  
It looked like some of sort of sleeping bay, with two doors on either side. There was an option to lock both.

Dante took the opportunity to do so. He needed rest and time, and a place like this didn't allow for that.

No use in trying to discuss anything if a zombie walks in when you're unprepared.

"I think I need to lay down a bit." He said, feeling awkward.

Laying on the below bunkbed on the left, he placed his arm over his eyes. Still the room felt like it was closing in on him.

'Sweet anti-christ. I'm gonna need Oxygen, too.'

He stayed like this for eternity.  
Neither wanted to move, even though they knew they had to.

"What have I done?" He whispered, "I brought a child to my crazy world. She's gonna be in danger too."

None of that was audible enough for Jill to hear.

She watched him, standing next to the chrome door, though she was not surprised by his reaction.

The soldier came over to sat on the bed next to him.

"I apologize." He said, his voice a bit husky, "I play at being the irresponsible type. Believe me, if I knew then, I would have stayed with you."

"Stop. It takes two people to create a child, I'm not mad at you." She said with a worn smile, "We agreed about what could've happened that night. So I'm to blame for this as well."

Jill paused and closed her eyes.

"I should apologize, for not telling you sooner. It's just-, I couldn't find you then."

After a moment of silence he spoke.

"What's her name?"

"Isara." She replied.

"Does she look like you?"

"Kind of. She has a silver hair, just like you. To think I once thought you dyed your hair." She responded, smiling back at him, "And she's got a bit of an irritating sweet tooth."

"When we're out of here, you should come back with me, to my place. It's safer there." He said.

"I missed you."

Dante agreed.

Feeling that familiar personal warmth, "I missed ya too."

They almost reached for one another out of instinct, but Dante decided not to.

"Forgive me." He whispered.

"Why are you apologizing?" She asked, "I'll be fine on my own. You aren't forced to do anything for her, okay?"

Dante laughed sitting up, propping himself on his hands.

"I know you're tough, but you don't have to be _that_ tough to fool an old man like me."

She forgot about that smile. In a way, he was right.  
They'd both grown up, she guessed him more than her.

"The only problem this really presents is if word gets out, you'll be walking around with a perennial target on your back. If it were my child, I'd want to be there for them."

Jill was silent for a moment, her mind swinging around a bit.

"What do you mean? I have a whole group of agents; oh hell, I have an entire paramilitary unit who could help find this, whoever he is, that'll target me and-"

Dante shook his head, worried of how lightly she took his words.

She lost confidence and trailed off.

"Listen to me. These agents, the para-milliliter's can't help you. I promise I'll explain everything, but now's not the right time."

". . . Down in the laboratory, we ran into someone who looked _exactly_ like you." She announced.

Dante's face turned pale- er, 'paler' immediately. He raise his hand, seizing hold of her shoulder.

"Did you say you found someone with my face . . . Alive?" He grasped her arms hard, pulling her close.

She swore it would leave a scar.

"Where? Take me there, now!" He spoke fast. "We can't waste _any_ time!"

His icy fingers dug into her armor, crushing the flesh of her toned arms.

"Hey-Hey! S-Stop it, you're hurting me!" She was quick to yell at him, and he'd confirmed her suspicions in a sense, "He's the one with the blue coat, isn't he? Your twin brother. Isn't that right?"

In mere seconds, he let go. For him, the mere fact that she'd put it together was hurtful.  
It wasn't some hollow transgression. He'd failed as a person.

Dante decided not to let this drag on further.

"Oh, sweetie, you've no idea what you just said." He commented, "He's back, but . . . He's a different man. There might be a chance, if it isn't too late."

Jill couldn't help it but to smile, "Shut your mouth for a moment, collect your thoughts, and just think about an explanation for a bit. I'm tired of staying in the dark."

Deep down she wanted to say it.  
Your brother almost killed my partner, your brother did something to me . . .

Not sure what, but she didn't have the heart to break him down further.

The depressed look turned to a slight smirk.

"Not now. When it's over, we'll have a very long talk." He chuckled.

'I have a brother to bring back with me.' He thought.

* * *

 **To be continued.**

 **..**

 **Thank you for reading, I hope you liked the action in this.**

 **Next chapter will deal with Vergil's fate.**

 **Thank you Angel Wolf for additional editing assistance.**


	6. Chapter 6 Whiplash Updated

**Chapter 6 - Whiplash**

* * *

 **. . .** **10 years ago . . .**

Puffs of steam emanated from her lips, lost in her own thoughts.

A young girl, 'round the age of 17, sat on a bench in the center of an empty park. Even in the pull to her surroundings, she clearly wasn't paying any attention.  
 _Her lights were on, but no one was home_.

The girl had shoulder-length, brunette hair, that she always tied back in a ponytail. Well, except that one time it was too short she couldn't.

With the tail sticking through the opening of a grey baseball cap, her name was Jill Valentine, a young, soon-to-be officer.

"What's that sound?" Her breath hitched in her throat.

The sound clanged again, echoing out in the darkness.

It was the sound of something hard clattering against the stone, disturbing the grass.  
Whatever it was, it was big, and getting closer from the sound of it.  
It was hard to tell where it came from; the echoes masked the direction.

Jill blinked rapidly, trying hard to remain calm.

It's her fault for coming here late after all.

Her senses directed her to a new shadow forming up ahead.

A horrifying center with tentacles floated about, moving unlike anything she'd encountered before . . . Was this even happening?  
Abruptly, a strange purple-like fog erupted from it, exploding out from a gunshot.

Jill's heart hammered within her, she was afraid to look at the thing.

Her vision began to blur. She swore she now saw two- No, three! Three swirling creatures, looking like humans twisted out of fashion by puppet strings.

Between the fogs she saw him.

A man in red stood in front of her, yelling something she could swear.

"Hey babe, you better run. These are a tough crowd here, unless you start strippin', they'll kill ya."

"H-Huh . . . What's going on?" She mumbled behind him.

Out of nowhere, a wall of flames fell down, entrapping the two.

"Welp, that's unfortunate." The young man stated flatly.

Slashing forward, he cleaved one in two, destroying it's form as he went. He managed to gore off one of the other's tentacles in the process.

2 birds, 1 stone. Not bad for the night.

She fell back on the ground, her athletic short-shorts conducive to running rather than crawling.  
As he went to work slaying, Jill scrambled to get away.  
Fleeing along the perimeter of the flaming wall, she could find no exit.

"No. No!" She yelled out of desperation.

Running down between two rows of bushy plants, they stretched to the sky to make barriers of green.

No place to escape still, as the flame reached higher than any of the plants.

Abruptly, she heard the clanging of metal against cement.

Behind her, she gazed to see the man, now emergent in the light. He had silver hair, now she knew she was dreaming.  
This man looked . . . Not ridiculous, no . . . Unreal was more like it.

Upon the ground, the tip of his blade rested as he stared her down stoically.

After a moment, he casually moved the weapon to his back.  
Holstering it upon his backside, he began to approach, much to her dismay.

"Stay back!" She said, "Who are you?"

"Relax. I killed the demons didn't I?" He replied, "Just let me-"

Abruptly, he darted forward. Disappearing in a blur, he grabbed her and hoisted her up over his shoulder.  
It was such a fast movement, she couldn't register what was happening. She closed her eyes hard, completely frightened.  
With one moment, they were suddenly on the other side.

She felt wind flutter by for a close second, but then, they were stationary again.

He propped her back off his shoulder.

Her eyes opened, she was in one piece. Behind the man was the wall of fire.

"We should go." He motioned forward and bowed as she scrambled to get to her feet.

She was caught off guard by his nature, and wasn't sure if she should really run away from him.  
But still though . . . He did kill those things, which meant he had to be even more dangerous.

The two ran through the rest of the plaza until he found a large bench nearby. It wasn't very practical, but hey, it would work for now.  
So, on his insistence, they huddled behind it. Jill fell on her knees, breathing heavily.

"Who . . . the _hell_ . . . are you? What _were_ those things!?" She was a bit of a feisty one.

The young man looked back at her and smirked.

"Name's Tony. If you're lucky, you'll get the last name later."

He winked at her, before returning his focus back to the area around them.

"It seems they took a liking of you. Sorry babe, you are going to have to hide for awhile." He said sternly and jumped out from behind the bench.

"W-Wait!" She called out to him.

A sinister demonic voice echoed through the park, speaking in a dark language.

" _Killed my minions . . . Eh eh eh . . . I'll get you for that. You can't hide that bitch forever._ " It was the blackest sound she'd ever heard.

Of course, she only heard gibberish.

The young man drew his broad sword, rising to the challenge with that same smirk.

"Bring it on, jackass."

From nowhere, a skeletal figure emerged with, covered in a murky shadow. This shadow formed it's cloak, and hid it's body from sight . . . Mostly.  
It's hideous face and morbid feet remained in the open. On a cloud of nothing, it swung a glistering Scythe through the air.  
An unholy sound resonated from within the weapon as it came down at the man, draped in red.  
He swiftly brought his blade up to match with the creature's, grinding Rebellion against the floor in anticipation. The impact was a little too much for him.

A shockwave rung out, mixing his crimson energy with it's blue flames

Tony's body was pushed back, left with a burning vibration.

"Oh. You're tough." He said, disinterested.

The creature vanished completely, leaving him confused in shadow. His senses screamed. For some reason, he couldn't find it.

Something ripped above him.

It's jaw opened as it descended upon the man from behind; scythe thrusting at his back.  
Tony dashed to the side, but the weapon's reach was too long. He felt a painful slash from his back out to the front of his abdomen.

Falling on his knees, gasping for relief, his eyes winced as he forced the flame-covered sickle back out his lower spine.

Once again, the thing disappeared into the dark fog, wailing ghostly.

The man slightly bent his legs, constantly prowling his left and right, then all other directions.

Several seconds afterward, the vengeful spirit erupted out of the ground.  
A barrage of twirling slashes and lacerations came his way.

He exhaled and drew his twin pistols.

This time, he felt it underneath, he tightened his fists and jumped with all the strength he had, narrowly dodging another unwanted slash.  
A strange odor entered his lungs, the fumes from it's blades. He aimed as he sailed and fired at the monster, stifling the monster's movements in favor of a jitter.  
It jerked back and forth as he emptied each bullet into it's suspended, living corpse.

The man called upon his sword, and slashed downward.

The helm-breaking strike stunned the creature, bringing it crashing back down to earth.

Once it was at his mercy, he smirked. Oh what an opportunity.

Taking hold of the sword's hilt, he brought it up from the ground in a single motion. Like a golf swing?  
As the entity traveled, Tony flexed his palms out.  
With a flick of the wrists, he threw out the blade, and connected with it's torso.

The brand spun in place, dicing up the cloak and it's chest. He clapped his right thumb and index finger, and the weapon returned to his grasp.

From there, the demon dropped to the ground.

It let go of the scythe.

Speeding forward, he latched onto it's own dark tool.

Twisting it down, he impaled the being in the chest with it's own weapon.

The creature screeched, hissing at defeat.

It snarled at him, those ghostly wails masking an insidious growl.

A supercharged gunshot tore it's eyeless skull apart. Like that, the rest of the body faltered and crumbled away.  
Tony's grip on his sword loosened, and he decided to take a moment to breath. His wound was already healing, but the effect lingered.

He directed his gaze toward the girl. At least to him, she seemed mostly unharmed, coming out from behind her hiding spot.

* * *

 **. . .**

 **From the very moment I heard the truth. I remembered my family.**

 **We were happy. However much it meant, like with most things, it changed.**

 **Change . . .**

 **I was stuck fighting, up underneath a pile of demons. The sound of gun shots is what assured me.  
Then it happened, I heard mother scream. I was there, I had father's gift, Rebellion.  
But I wasn't strong enough, she laid there lifeless, watching me as I released my pain against the ones that took her.**

 **A boy sent down a path he had no friggin clue how to navigate, and his idea of faith or destiny shattered.**

 **I tried so hard, and got so far- _cue emo music_.**

 **I can't remember how long I stayed there, weeping . . . Waiting for her to wake up and tell me everything's okay.**

 **I looked for Vergil, but I couldn't find that bastard anywhere . . . He disappeared that night.**

 **Loneliness was this horrible feeling's name.**

 **Everyone thinks, 'so what?'** **'All ya do is crack jokes.'  
** **Joke at my enemies expense, and to all those I encounter.** **A quip a day keeps someone at a distance.**

 **Look, I know I can be an asshole, but it helps keep people at arm's length.**

 **Then, when I got with Jill . . . I feel like I signed her execution.**

 **No I'm not going to allow it.  
**

 **I couldn't do anything for _my_ mother, but . . . I won't allow my child to be traumatized while I'm still responsible. ****I won't allow her to die because of me.**

 **My brother had a saying:**

 **'The only thing that can defeat power, is more power.** **Ironic? Perhaps. But, the truth can be so very cruel.'**

* * *

.

.

.

* * *

"It won't be long now." Sergei muttered. He was inside a clean, clinical office, "I made sure Jill would be amongst them. Vergil's also there, as planned."

'Once the right time come, seize her.' A dark thick voice spoke to him, 'Give me a proof for your claim, of another Sparda rising. You know your punishment if you fail.'

Sergei placed his finger on his forehead and took a prolonged inhale.

"Yes master."

.

.

.

* * *

Jill focused on the matter at hand, "Tell me, what those things are?"

Dante exited first, while he had his left hand rub against his right hand's knuckles.

"Some kind of artificial demons. He calls them angels, but I know that feeling. Sergei can control them. Don't know how yet. Just dodge that lance and hide; you should be fine."  
Dante said and shook his head.

"You might be a king or little street sweeper, but sooner or later, you'll dance with the reaper." The slayer muttered under his breath.

Jill cringed inside.

A Bill and Ted reference, really?

He noticed something though. The door of the hall lingered half-open. Hadn't he closed that door? He couldn't remember, he sort of blacked out after that bombshell.  
Shaking his head lightly, he silently cursed himself for the slip. He pulled his pistols and pivoted on his feet, moving silently as he bashed the door open.  
Jill couldn't see much of the other side where she was, but she could lightly make out part of the reflection in the clean ceiling.

She kept the handgun leveled, and waited. A third step, and again silence.

'Whatever it is, it's bleeding and that's what can I hope for.' She thought.

He could hear the soles of their shoes coming off the floor with a squelching sound—and on the fourth step, he rounded the corner.

No one was there, for some reason.

The two walked to the other side in silence, where they could hear the echo of the feet.

"What happened to your brother? I never heard you talk about him." She heard Dante take a long breath, and he looked back at her with that frustrated face.

"Really? Right now?"

Right, she just looked down at her handgun.

Returning their attention forward, they crept across the distilled hallways, noticing bloody footprints.

The two of them opened the door at the end of the dark hall, Jill watching their back, and stole through.

Jill gazed blankly at the new room's strange decor, the giant wires and pipes that dominated the floor, her mind working.

"He's my brother . . . We'll leave it at that." He reluctantly answered after some thought.

There were some stairs in the side of the room surrounded with a tunnel.

"If you say so." She replied, and touched his arm, stopping him on the spot.

Dante glanced back, waiting for her to say something.

"Tell me . . . What do you know about all of this? Please." Jill whispered, "Suddenly we meet again, and I run into your twin, of all people."

"I assure you." He smirked cynically, "I have zero involvement with these umbrella guys . . . Whatever they're doing."

He paused for a moment.

"That man brought me here, and so I'll be searching . . . For awhile."

"I'm sure you'll find him . . ." Jill whispered.

Dante gave her a thumbs up and winked.

"Watch your back." He warned.

Jill smirked and pointed at him with her index finger, "Don't start with me, I'm always careful."

The two hurried, and while they hadn't gotten far in their exploration, thankfully, they hadn't run into zombies or hunters.  
So far, just an empty meeting room and then an office with strange sets of drawers in them.  
She walked to a nearby desk to see if there was something here that the BSAA could use, perhaps some more intel to retrieve.

A journal folder was left on the middle of a desk.

All of this in the side of a lone office room.

 **April 13th...**

"That's today?" She muttered to herself.

* * *

 **My projects have been progressing.**

 **With their own DNA retained in the recombination of the half breed blood, I thought I could predict how I control Yamato after this. But . . .  
**

 **I was wrong.**

 **Yamato resisted me, like an electromagnet repelling its opposite. Why am I not yet worthy? I serve the great Mundus, and still, I've yet to fail.  
The plan is moving. Didn't see it at first, I was blind to it, but this is vastly more rewarding.  
We worked hard and managed to create a new formula. I injected myself, and many test subjects for this.  
**

 **Most of them failed, they showed the correct signs . . . At first.**

 **But then they started decaying.  
**

 **I must continue those tests, however, I can't let on what I've discovered. I can gain enough power superior to Nelo Angelo, as time goes by.  
Soon the research will start for the T-Virus, the creation will be improved much more.  
Yes, the power of Hell will make the dead reanimate viciously, real zombies now . . . It will be a show, of sorts.**

 **The cooperation will raise from the ashes, the world will bow to us; to Me . . . And _My_ super soldiers.**

 _ **Et cum ultra locus est in inferno, et ambules in terra mortua sunt**_

* * *

"Dante, you, uh . . . You need to see this." Jill said under a bated breath.

After a moment of silence, the scarlet merc entered, taking the file folder off her hands.

"Black Angel, what's that?" More and more, the cruelty of Sergei came to light.

Her trigger finger twitched up at the thought to putting a bullet hole in his forehead.  
Who's Mundus? Dante seemed to know . . . And how much are they involved in this?

Jill brought her fingers to her ear.

"Chris: Come in?"

.

.

.

"This is Chris: Report?"

"I think we have a problem. I found some notes on the T virus. Sergei's using some samples of the strain for testing.  
I think there may be some subjects on site, but I'm unsure of their status. Some of them might still be alive."

"What?! I thought all the remains of the T-Virus had been sold on the black market! Th- No, isn't there some kind of mistake?"

"Update this to Rebecca, we need her team on alert."

"Right . . . Okay . . ."

Once the radio turned off, silence dominated the room.

The expression on Dante's face was the most horrible she'd ever seen.

It was like the cheerful man she used to know was know replaced with an angry, demonic stranger.

Identical to the expression Vergil had.

That man, that thing, that same spiteful look of disgust.

Jill took a step back from him, her wheels turning relentlessly.  
What's wrong with him? Is he infected or something, like all the others here?

"This is Rebecca reporting in. All I found recently is most of the whole facility is filled with these New Hunters.  
An Improved T-virus creation it seems like, although . . . There's something a bit different about them. Sergei's surviving men are in the center of the facility, and . . ."

Her voice droned out to the sound of something blasting in the background.

Jill's head whipped around, almost so fast that it hurt her neck. She observed the place carefully, not sure what she was looking for.  
A way to silence the feeling in her gut. An itch formed between her shoulders. She felt the impulse to turn around. Someone else was behind her.  
Her hand was not very far from her pistol, she backtracked one step and spun fast, gun ready.

An empty air shaft welcomed her, still she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was with her.

Jill turned back to Dante who started to pace back and forth, not paying her any mind.

"What's going on here? That file-" She whispered.

"Did I scare you?" He interjected flatly, "I'm okay, you don't need to know about what I found."

"Y-Yeah." She replied hesitantly, crossing her arms, "I'll- I'll just go over here."

Jill pushed herself through the air shaft immediately without waiting for a reply.

Ignoring the layers of dust and spiderwebs collecting on her hair and clothes, ignoring the suffocating close walls of thin metal, she placed herself within.  
To look where this path could lead, it might be somewhere useful. Perhaps she could shed some light over this black angel and understand what she was at the middle of.  
She took a turn to the right and used her knife to pull herself up. A dim light shown in the front of a spectral yellow, looking as though it were a group of candle lights.

She crawled closer and closer as her ear picked up on something.

It was the sound of someone humming.

"What the hell?!" Jill blurted, covering her mouth as the humming ceased.

She jumped down into the dark room, there were wooden boxes moving towards a central, giant metal tube, filled with red fire.  
More timber packages were scattered all on the ground, some near a left over desk. Jill drew her pistol and walked carefully over the bodies, eyes sharp for any movement.

'This must be a disposal area. Are these the failed experiments?' Jill held her pistol at the ready.

Once she reached the stairs the familiar sound moaned at her.

A horde woke up.

Jill turned to face them, and noticed these were . . . _Different_.

They still bore the visage of a human almost exactly, but their skin turned a dark purple, complimented by gross shades of blue.

That kind of look happens only when the body's experienced a lack of oxygen in the blood, a process called cyanosis.

"What the _hell_ did they do to you?" Jill let out a sad statement, and aimed carefully at their foreheads.

Steely explosions crashed through reverberations, disturbed the cold silence as the ghouls fell, one by one. A dark stain swallowed the land.

She clicked her shoes and kept walking to the other side. The only sound in the room were her shoes rubbing with the steel.  
Jill took out her flash light and rested the wrist on top of the gun, so to illuminate her aim.  
She observed the end of this damp area, a perfect darkness. An automatic door with the sign of the Biohazard lay before her.

'What else you got in there? Rebecca's really gonna have her work cut out for her.'

She was about to call to Dante, when, from nowhere, she felt a rough hand grip around her throat. Jill felt a cold breath on her neck, and her muscles tightened.

Slowly tilting her head back, she tried to get a look at the thing.

Red eyes welcomed her.

"You and I will take a little trip." He whispered in her ear, placing his lips right against her ear, "After all . . . You _are_ Dante's _little whore_."

Jill wanted to fight back, she wanted to show him off for his words, but her legs stuck still.

Frozen.

Something about this guy is just . . . Wrong. He wasn't a human, but he was not un-death either. She bared her teeth and tried to wrangle free of him, all the strength she could muster.  
Out of rage and anger, she threw a vicious elbow into his stomach, intent on breaking his sternum, or at least some ribs.

But it hit a mountain range, his body feeling somewhere close to one.

The man laughed in her face as he twisted her arm, letting her struggle out from his grasp.

"Is this best you can do? Come on! Give me a _real challenge_." He growled at her, menacing his twisted, corrupt countenance into what little light there was.

Jill tried to fight as best she could, but all that did was bring her to her knees.

"You think it's going to be easy?" She spat the words, ready for plan B.

"Factory secured." Her radio buzzed.

.

.

.

Chunks of flesh spattered the office walls.

All the various seconds after that dragged on much longer than they should have. Dante could feel himself ready to grind his teeth under his lips. He grew to despise these hunters.

They were annoying, and unwieldy.

How in the hell did so many of these things fit into such claustrophobic environments?  
They spat at him, trying to attack him all at once.

He'd been standing, waiting in front of the wide steel gate for quite some time.

Considering the problem, all the remaining dogs hurled themselves repeatedly at the door; their strange howls echoing through the room.

The slayer turned his mind to the file.

That last line was latin, and he knew what it meant.

 _'When there is no more room in hell, the dead . . . Will walk the earth.'_

It was a quote, from some old horror film, he was sure. He'd seen years ago as a teenager, the thing was bleak.  
It rattled along, eerie music and depressed, quirky actors picketing the screen. He heard it then, it was one of the character's grandfather who'd said it.  
The dark, ominous chatter of the moans, their swarthy, rotting bodies. It was like rats crawling through walls, endlessly scampering about.

Driving him to madness.

A voodoo priest apparently, he couldn't know for sure anymore. That was the messenger, but why would the man quote something supposedly beneath him?

There had to be more to this damned place.

Still holding his bloodied sword, he turned away from the locked gate and went over to a door covered with the sign **Biohazard**.

As soon as he reached it the door slid up, open.  
He emerged within a clean-looking hallway. It was all grey and white, while lights themselves were crammed in the corners of the corridor.  
Nothing much in the terms of décor, but was still what he came to expect from the sterile theme of the place.

"You would think at least one of these egg heads would have some sense of good taste." Dante mused as he prepared to walk in when he felt it again.

The bizarre pain within his chest.

His hand tightened around the hilt of Rebellion, and so he walked lightly, another's footsteps clearly audible to the ears.  
Though he was part human, how arrogant of another to think he would not hear. He took a turn to the right, and in the middle of the prism, he saw a girl.  
It seemed to him around 7 years old, a brunette with locks fluttering in her nondescript face.

She wore a simple grey dress, accompanied by a flower through the side of her hair.

The girl reminded him of an annoying little runt that called itself Patty Lowell.

"Big brother is over there." She spoke in a deadpan drone. Her left arm slowly rose and pointed at path.

He came closer to get a clear view of where her finger pointed. There was another door that slid up automatically.

There was a sign above it that read: **Test subjects**

"No . . ." Dante mumbled to himself. His instincts screamed; something wasn't right.

He clenched his fist and charged through the door.

Inside he saw a large computer screen, a clear image of Vergil was shown and Information.

He sat in front of the computer in a kind of shock, staring at the blinking cursor over the words.

The first emotion to break through his stunned standing was rage. Sweeping, red-hot waves of fury tore away all reasons for him to be calm. It descended over him like a blinding fire.  
For a moment, his mind was lost, his body taken over by the primal force.

"Why? How? Of all the things these pricks could have done . . ."

His fists tightened to the point that his blood seeped to the ground.

"I'll keep watch . . ." A husky voice spoke to him from behind the wide screen, "In a dark, dark place."

The slayer shoved the chair behind, the force of it lodging the furniture into the wall with a slam.

His slow steps felt torturous, the velvet darkness they fear of what he might find out. The other side . . .  
The screen itself was beyond his sight and round the corner, he saw him . . . Right there, standing amid an empty room.

"In a dark, hateful place."

"Vergil."

The man's face was hidden under a sweltering shadow.  
He turned away and vanished through the darkness.

"Wait, wait!" Dante stepped forward, "Where are you going?"

Dante hurried after him, not sure where he'll be led.

His mind was working to stay in charge, his purest instincts battling it for supremacy.

 **"You'll believe that harlot over your own brother, you imbecile . . . Traitor! Stay _away_ from me." Vergil spoke coldly.**

Where was he?

Dante kicked the door off it's hinges and ran through an impossibly long hallway.

"Listen to me, there's-" He was interrupted, after he heard a collection of gears begin to grind. The hall was large, much greater in size than even that room where he fought the Knights.

To his eyes it seemed like a fighting arena.

'Is this where they kept you?'

At one point, the wall broke away to reveal, beneath the primary hall, was a lower floor, and a massive laboratory. He could see broken tables, pods and all sorts of scientific equipment.

Over one step was an elevator.

Without thinking, he jumped over the railing and landed safely on his feet.

The place felt cold; memories.

He was back at the top of Temen-Ni-Gru again, or at least, it felt that way.

A wide scowl broke across his pale face.

"It's been 10 years since last we met. What did you say to me?" Vergil said and drew over his purple coat. "Oh yes, 'How about a kiss from your older brother?'"

Awkward silence filled the air.

"Of all the times and places you've come back, it has to be here. You knew I never wanted it to go down like that." Dante retorted.

Vergil's eyes remained red, teeming choler.

His face was scrunched up, rage exhibited.

Dante stood still and drew his guns, ready for the clash. Vergil growled and swept forward, throwing out a fist over his face. Dante easily stepped back, away from the blow.  
It turned Dante around, and the slayer followed up with a gun shot. Vergil cocked his head to the side, seizing Dante's trigger wrist. His grip was just as strong now as it was then; he could remember.  
He grunted as Vergil tugged and threw him over his shoulder. Dante sailed off into a metal table, his elbow striking first. It cracked from the weight of his body.

"Don't hold back. It isn't worth it. I want the thrill of killing you." Vergil jeered as he faded from view.

Dante got to his feet, crunching his shoulder back into place.

He threw off his trench coat and guns, slowly drawing Rebellion from its holster.

Within the darkness, he had Vergil firmly in his gaze.

Like a bat out of hell, his brother rushed forward. He dipped and weaved through incendiary sword slashes before attacking himself.  
Sparks flashed in front of their eyes as both sides looked at one another. It was like looking in a mirror, only . . . Not.  
As their struggle broke apart, he chose to summon Ifrit, a flame engulfing his forearms.

Dante parried with one of the gauntlets and the blade clashed against the metal strapped to Vergil's arms with a shriek, sending flickers shooting through the air.  
Vergil was quick and followed up with an uppercut-slash, attempting to crush the slayer's guard.

He sidestepped to the right just enough that the blade only chopped off a lock of hair.

Quickly, before Vergil could respond with a follow-up, Dante swiftly punched Vergil in the abdomen, stunning him for a brief moment.

He was about to launch another attack when they appeared.

A line of blue blades, all waiting for his flesh. Pedaling back, he swung wildly, and his sword collided with two.

Pushing him more.

"For 10 years I lived in regret!" He screamed, "Thinking I actually got rid of you . . . Feeling so horrible; that you could have changed!"

Vergil bared his teeth, his face becoming a twisted reflection of his brothers.

"Idiot! You've forgotten all about mother, I can smell that bitch al over you! Trish." He yelled back.

"What?!" Dante drew his shotgun from nowhere.

Well, that wasn't expected.

Vergil had to launch himself around as his brother took potshots, managing to snag him in the blasts of buckshot. Blood dripped from the back of his neck, coating his skin in a warm, sticky solvent.  
Making his way back to the man, he managed to dash at him just as the gun erupted in fire and he rotated Yamato. The pellets and the gunpowder exploded within his vortex.  
Both were peppered by the ensuing spray of shells. Despite being knocked back a little, Vergil managed to force himself forward and sliced the barrel clean off from the handle.

Dante felt enraged, he'd just had that repaired, and now it was gone in one use permanently.

Vergil whipped the blade around and shoved forward, stabbing the handle back and out of his hand. The younger sibling twisted away ignoring the pain in his palm.

"I spent my days in hell seeking vengeance. Mother _never_ left my mind; just because I was so fucking powerless!" Dante shouted, "You're one to talk, you never even showed up after she died."

Vergil's anger grew even more.

"Can it, you low piece of trash!"

The insult stung just like it always did, azure energy rocketed his way, striking his astral chest.  
It's force was enough to make him tremble in pain.  
He had to stop for a moment, gasping as he held his chest.

Vergil wouldn't relent, rushing him once again.

Returning Rebellion to the physical world, he brought it up right before he had to move.

Dante cut through Vergil's waves and tore up through his chest, swinging him back into the steel wall.

"Do you have _any idea_ what it's like to be lobotmized, again and again for years?! You can't ever stop it, it just eats away at your mind, your memory! Over and over." Vergil screamed.

He leaned back and gave his brother a shove with the blade.  
Falling back a bit, Vergil managed to block a counter with his shoulder, but had to contend with a follup.

Rebellion came forward and down, and so Yamato swung up.

The strange blades collided with a shockwave, and the reverberation shook the building.

All the windows shattered.

The violent blow had opened Dante up for another attack and Vergil obliged, putting a simple sidekick into his stomach.

He doubled over.

As the dark elder went for a downward stab, it met a crimson wave of energy.  
In an explosive discharge of demonic energy, his younger brother released a concussive burst of energy.

The dome exploded outward, slamming Vergil off into the side of a metal table.

He felt the lower portion of his spine crack and discombobulate.

Remaining downed for a long time, they stood quite far from each other, breathing heavily.

"Mother's death wasn't our fault . . ." Dante panted, resting against his blade. "We lost so much time to hatred, why don't we stop this?"

A voice screamed within Vergil.

Anger rose in him, becoming the dominant emotion.

"Lost time? You don't know what lost time is. I'll bury you in your shame, murderer!" He spit.

Dante had enough.

"Right, of course. How could I think you'd be different after so many years? You're just the same old jerk. I buried mom in the middle of damn nowhere: Where were you!?" He screamed at him.

* * *

 **Images flashed in Vergil's mind, taking him to a better day**

* * *

 **"Vergil, listen to me." Eva knelt down to his level, out of breath, her perfect blonde hair tainted with dark demonic blood.**

 **Gently she caressed the cheeks of the trembling boy.**

 **"Please, promise me you'll take care of your brother no matter what, he is reckless." With a sorrow-filled smile she embraced him as another loud screech blistered outside.**

 **The house was surrounded now, not even close to being safe anymore . . .**

 **"You're my brave boy." She whispered. Eva pushed him away to a nearby room and prepared to fight back . . . Again.**

 **That wouldn't be the last time. Vergil got tired of caring eventually.**

 **A mistake he'd come to regret horribly.**

* * *

Something behind Vergil's eyes changed.

Dante raised an eyebrow at the strange, broken expression, a mix between anger and . . . remorse.

There was something else, he wasn't sure what, exactly.

"What?" He muttered.

Hesitantly, the slayer took a step toward him.

Vergil backed up, shuffling as he covered his face. Light started to encircle him.  
A deafening roar ripped through Dante as his sibling hovered levitated up in the air, then, without warning, vanished from sight.

It was like whenever he turned off an old TV, and that little static blip to blackness as he pressed 'off.'

Only it was his brother.

The slayer came to the spot he'd been standing at, and fruitlessly looked down.

Not like the ground could help.

Yet his eyes gazed up at the industrial ceiling.

"Not again." He whispered.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading, tell me what you think! I hope you enjoyed this and thought it worth the wait. :)**

 **Please tell me what do you think of everything that had been updated so far? And I'll see you soon once I finish all the way to chapter 11,**

 **Special thanks to my beta reader, Angel Wolf.**

 **Ofcourse I won't forget the one who helped me to start this, long ago, The95will**


	7. Chapter 7 Bitter souls updated

**Chapter 7 - Bitter Souls**

* * *

The scientist didn't know how to react to the sudden appearance, this dark figure emerging to dominate the room.

The figure was tall and thin, with skin as pale as a glass of milk; standing still, vigilantly lurking amongst leaden shadows. He stared out like a cobra seeking prey, the glare of his wide crimson eyes slowly weaving threads of terror in their minds. Slow movements, almost like the body had no bones whatsoever, slunk and oozed there way toward them. From this hollow darkness came a greasy charm, a bright smile met their gaze, so friendly all of a sudden.

"Good evening, friends. . ." He spoke with a chilling rasp, "Sorry I've run late, I was trying to decide which method to apply."

He lifted his T-shirt and drew a vertical line on his stomach with his fingers, then took the craft knife from the nearby table.  
Piercing it through his flesh, he made a deep incision along the line he'd had drawn on his stomach. Blood flowed freely, dribbling on the floor out his gut.  
Prying both his hands inside, he tore open the flesh as wide as he could, revealing his organs in full to their naked eyes.

He could see the fear in their eyes, horrified at his self-mutilation. They deserved it.

"Don't worry, this is for the greater good remember?" Dante whispered, "Who cares if you're a person. . . ? Experimentation matters _more_ than you."

He looked down upon the hole he'd just made and knew this wasn't enough payback for these scientist bastards.

He placed both his hands into his stomach and slowly, with a painted-on look of pleasure, began to push his hands into his gut.  
He didn't feel anything, but he made it look like an orgasm, the warm, slightly viscous texture of his blood on his hands made him feel. . . Different.  
He could touch his intestines, and it took a little longer than he'd imagined to work his way through them, then his hands felt something inside.

It could've been his lungs or his liver, he wasn't quite sure, but that didn't really matter for now. They wanted psychological warfare?

They'd get horrifying nightmares not even mommy could prepare them for.

He looked up at them, refocused on their faces. His eyes lacked their iris, leaving only a tiny black pupil to stare at their insignificant faces.  
It was hard to do, but a visual trick he'd taught himself using his demonic bloodline. It looked unnerving as hell, his sharpened teeth revealing a bestial undercurrent.

As he stood there, to his surprise and delight, they were still staring and boy. . . Did they look scared.

"You don't like when someone does it you. This is half of what you put my brother through, you sick fucks." Dante snarled to them. The lead doctor didn't speak, he was dying. . . Slowly.

He loosened his grip inside, and slowly started to remove his bloodied hands from his body. He showed them more sickening joy than he'd ever imagined himself capable of.

It was at this point that they all knew where they'd gone wrong, trifling in things they couldn't even comprehend.  
Dante blistered a smile as the hole he tore open sowed itself shut without stitches, returning to it's defined shape.  
Air was still, the total lack of movement evident in their stilted, ridged actions. Their glasses shined against the artificial light, hiding marked fear from the slayer's gaze, but he could sense it.

"So, who else wants an examination from the good doctor?" He said, eyes glistering rage. The slayer sauntered towards them, content to never stop.

* * *

.

.

.

* * *

Chris backtracked as Myles showered the bizarre creature with lead. Somehow, it resembled both a Licker and a zombie with a pump-action shotgun staggered along, throat torn open and tongue flapping.

The skin had rotted away at the mouth, leaving a massive tendon smile, teeth elongated. The gun was leftover from it's previous life, the uniform suggesting some kind of security enforcer.

The muscles had swelled beyond recognition, tearing open the outfit in certain places. It's brain overran the eyes, leaving it blind to conventional sight. Echolocation was the new mode.

Their reactions were swift and repulsive. The body began to writhe, to tremble, and a high-pitched squeal shock the room like an earth-quick.  
Chris and his partner felt their ears about to explode, they were stunned on the spot. The creature danced toward them, swirling it's arms around like a windmill.  
That nauseating stench made it seem like it crawled right out of the morgue, stinking of decayed food and rotted skin.

Chris bit his lip and gave it a solid kick to it's abdomen, and though this felt like he'd just kicked a box truck, it staggered backward.

Another loud growl erupted from nowhere as Chris took the shotgun it dropped and emptied the last shell into it's face.  
It's large throat exploded, the old school sawed-off shotgun providing a massive boom.  
He didn't know if that was this creature's breath alone, and he wouldn't wait around to see.

" _Let's move!_ " Chris screamed.

Together they kicked the door open and bolted out from the lab, leaving anything else inside behind.  
All the halls were long and winding, periodically forcing them to take turns without knowing where they would end up as more and more mutations would appear.  
A horde of ghouls appeared, their flesh peeling off as they continually rotted, flaking decay around them. They trudged towards them, arms curled autonomically.  
They saw an open hall a foot to their right, and it led off to darkness. The next closest thing they wouldn't be able to reach in time, as the undead were soon to swallow the route.  
Well, they had to take the chance. Using the flashlight on his submachine gun, the duo darted into the hall, and discovered it a massive, empty corridor that overlooked the lab.

Myles took aim and shot the lock panel, and an electrical surge crackled through the outlets. The door slowly began to descend, grinding against the metal walls slowly.

Unexpected, but they can work with it they supposed.

A few twisted stragglers got into the hall with them before the metal doors jammed for a split second, the came crushing down, obliterating others trying to enter and sealing off the horde.

The two fired off more rounds, aiming for the head while they stumbled forward, and in a moment, the few cadavers that followed lay on the sterile ground stained.

They took a moment to catch their breath, the coast was finally clear on their other side.

It was a big hall, to the left was the lab, and to the right were massive panes of glass through which they could see the outside.

"So tell me, what did you find?" Chris panted through the question.

Myles swallowed a lump in his throat.

"Well. . . It seems Yamato is a Japanese katana that's strong enough to cut through steel, like the mechanical doors we, uh. . . That we see around here." He gestured back to the door.  
"Although. . . It's described as if this thing is the greatest weapon ever made, and if someone held it against us, I'd like to keep my limbs in one piece on this torso."

Chris shrugged, "Okay that's insane, it's just a Katana. How strong can a piddly sword be? Anything else?"

Myles cocked his head a bit.

"Well uh, I know the owner of it is that guy, the one who walked out of the lab. The notes say something about a halfbreed and some stuff about the strength of his sword. Euphemisms galore."

Just the memory alone made Chris shiver.

Those piercing red eyes. . . He can still feel the fingers that were once wrapped around his throat.

Chris grumbled to himself and started walking through the front on the massive hall, needing to move immediately and locate more of these test subjects as fast as possible.  
Myles lifted his assault rifle up and double checked the ammunition in the magazine. They operated like a one-two punch, one checking themselves while the other kept an eye out for potential danger.  
One can't be too careful when dungeon-crawling through an illegal infested black ops compound. . . Through Russia. . . In summer. . .

"Okay then, we have something we have to take care of."

The young man frowned, "Yeah, we have to locate that Vergil guy don't we?"

His superior nodded reluctantly.

"We'll need backup, then." The younger soldier sighed.

'I hope Jill's okay.' The man thought.

* * *

His view through the monitor had some static, but he could still see them, both agents continuing on their way.

Sergei couldn't help his smile.

"Did you hear that Vergil?" He spoke, cheerful, "These guys aren't him, but I hope you don't mind."

A figure in the corner of the room made a grunt. . . Strange and deep, like an animal; some kind of wolf. . . The growls were evidence of that assumption.  
He was clad in blackish-green armor that appeared organically weaved into the flesh, with spikes, horns, and pulsating cerulean lines that traversed all through his body.  
The armor moved with the body inside, making it appear completely fluid, despite it's metal sheen. It held up a giant zweihänder that bore a soul-eating razor edge.

The buster-sword glowed a menacing blue flame, and a spike adorned the bottom of the blade's base, curving down to form a guard on it's handle.

"After them." The man told his slave.

Standing, the man became engulfed in azure flames, then simply disappeared. Vergil emerged in the room, standing directly before both agents as they trekked down the hall.

Both staggered back, frightened.

They aimed, but tried to assess the threat, since it appeared radically different to most Umbrella experiments.

"What the fuck is that!?" Myles stammered as Chris locked his sights.

The stoic figure stood there, motionless. His blade hung to the side, touching the floor. He stared emotionless, his face covered by a helmet that fit over his features perfectly.  
Atop the helmet's crown, two spikes emerged, and curled downward, glowing some hues of red with the indigo of his other sections. He seemed like he was standing there just waiting for something.  
A voice rang out clearly through the hall, emergent through PA speakers destined to startle.

"Oh I forget, you cannot talk through that armor." He spoke through the intercom, watching them, "It's your fault. You have a job to do, but you failed."

The men got antsy, and Myles opened fire.

The bullets stopped dead, crushing against his armor ineffectively.

He stood still, again remaining unmoved, like the bullets didn't even hit him.

The voice lurched in again, still only addressing the dark knight.

"Fight your twin and finish him off, if you fail again completely, it'll be even worse for you. You forgot your place, you filthy slave."

Sergei turned his focus to a different monitor, and on the screen, at the corner, he saw an amusing sight.  
A reptilian creature, legs-wise. It's head seemed to have spiky edges, though the image was dark grainy. It was hard to tell.  
There were cracks on it's chest, and the coat appeared to separate into three parts that were shaped much like an insect's wings.

The creature growled and a red energy illuminated from him as he started to drill through the wall.

.

.

.

Dante found himself in a half-lit room, it had seven sections of desks with several still-active computers running.  
He exhaled raspy, and lightning sprung through his fists, once again he pounded his way through, sparks flying in the air. These walls were so cold, the entire facility was freezing.  
His fists beat through the metal, tearing away until only a scrap heap was left, blasted around the mechanized room. He stood haggard, his strength only allowing so much.  
He stopped at the front of the room, a shrill sound filled the air as all of the computers started bursting into flames and breaking into pieces.

He sprinted toward the door, with one spin kick and crushed the metal in, exploding it out the other side. The door bent and crumpled down with a smash.

He was met with the faces of multiple researchers, huddled back in a small hall behind glasses. The rooms had cubicles and flimsy desks where results were stacked.

Both sides had people visible through windows. Two security officers pulled something from their pockets and tried to taser him.

The feeling of their weapons was nothing more than a tingle. He almost laughed, these two lugheads really thought they had a chance looking at him like this?

Dante was amused at the sight of them, they were trying to run now, dropping their tase-sticks to the ground.  
A subtle impulse inside his chest caused him to stare emotionless at the two. Time slowed down, as a dark thought crossed his mind.  
He disappeared in a red flash, cosmically vanishing before them. The two stopped to look back, wondering what in the hell just happened. He wasn't anywhere, not for them.  
The two backed away, slowly trying to ascertain where the strange figure went. Muffled screams from the side were trying to warn them.

One looked to the side, wondering why they were yelling at him.

His back hit something, or rather something hit his back.

Dante's gauntleted fist pierced through the closest man to him, impaling him through the heart until his arm was out through his chest.

He held the man's heart in his hand, right before the guard's eyes, and crushed it in a bloody pulp. The man's face was stunned and frozen, as Dante let him fall off.

The other man turned around, his face met an open hand that grasped at his features, holding his head in his giant hand. He screamed, begging to be let go.

His fist closed, compressing the skull into a thick mulch as his screams distorted and gorged into gurgles. He let the corpse collapse to the floor, twitching involuntarily.

A sound of a siren followed, and everything became bathed in red light.

Chaos commenced, as the researchers all began to scramble around, looking for any way out, but all exits led to the hallway.

The workers searched for guns and managed to arm themselves with last-resort weapons, though they held them with inexperience.  
Thankfully, they could rest easy since the doors were locked, and the glass was several inches thick. There was hope the man would just walk away.  
Dante stood there watching, silently looking amongst the dead men from the hall. . . His eyes lacking emotion.

From inside, he heard them panic, saying various things.

"Where did it come from? Why is that here!?"

"My god, what the hell is that thing!?"

"We should be safe in here, he can't get in through that glass. Just remain calm, everything is going to be okay."

"Be. . . B-be brave men, and call f-f-for the Master!" One of them stuttered.

Dante strode slowly to the window, looking at them with those cold baby-blues so warped.

He placed one finger to the window. He tapped the glass with the claw, and it cracked slightly. The others remained nervous, but not entirely too scared.  
The slayer cocked his head to the right, wondering what force it would take to shatter this. Maybe. . . He placed his fist on the small crack, and concentrated for a small moment.  
No, the other's thought, theres no way he could break this. It's five feet worth of rock solid plexiglass, polished regularly with a built-in system.

Dante exhaled a scaly breath, then slammed his knuckles forward, a three-inch punch.

He absolutely demolished the pane into pieces. Glass and wind blasted the scientists, slicing through the occupants. He jumped in, and began a ruthless massacre.  
He let his ancient half take over, his anger turning to nihilism. Two other men jumped at his back trying fruitlessly to hold onto his arms. Thrusting both elbows back, he took off a pound of flesh.  
The keeled over, entire sections of their midriff just missing. He spent one moment looking, his stare piercing both men's dying lights. Amazing how different they became at death.

He felt multiple knives puncture his chest from the front.

Slowly, the slayer turned his head as he remained unmoved.

His gaze fell upon two women and a man.

"I'm not tipping the ferryman for you." Dante growled. His arm swayed back, and then rocketed toward them.

He struck a fist-sized hole right through the man's head, prompting female screams as he slammed their bodies on the ground in front of him. With a snap of his fingers, he gouged out their eyes.  
Human destruction wasn't something he ever considered part of his capacity, but something else was in the drivers seat now. An old instinct pounded on his brain, making him tread on and on.

The only researchers left exchanged horrified looks, they frantically searched for any escape while security officers were aiming straight at him.

Dante marched toward them in a slow, mocking saunter.

Trembling, they turned around, ready to unlock the automatic door, but they felt a cold flush of air. Right there, in front of the door stood the demon, eyes shining red anger.

One by one they fell on their knees, begging, groveling. . .

"P-please. . . Please! Please let us go. . ."

The only thing that played in his mind over and over again was the image of Vergil strapped to a bed. . . While they all put needles through him, recording whatever the hell they did to him.  
Cutting him open, lobotomizing him over and over, wearing away at him till there was nothing of the original. What did they even put into his brother's body? The thought enraged all the more.  
Dante roared, loud enough for them to cover their ears. He charged with his sword and drilled through them, sparks illuminating the place a color other than red.

The alarm drowned out the cries, leaving behind a screaming silence. All he heard was the blood pumping in his veins.  
Right there, gored by his sword, the bodies dangling helplessly. They took their last breaths as he threshed the blade harshly to the ground.

Blood seeped into the nearby walls.

A message in blood for those who'd want to continue research.

On the opposite side of the hall, he saw the scientists petrified.

Clenching his fists closed, he boomed forward through the air, smashing the glass into atoms as he set about violently macerating human forms, tearing off limbs, severing heads.  
Ripping out ribs and throats like apples off a tree, the slayer rode on a tide of tainted blood, destroying all that they were in their filthy, cruel world. Sleeping no more, he continued to kill.  
The proof of his work was in the unthinking computer god that watched over the grim tidings. If he would, could they? They were more than capable given those black proceedings.

So much death, so much death on his hands.

He didn't stop till all were gone, with no signs of life left.

Standing in the hallway amongst the aftermath, he seemed not to notice what he'd done. Something changed in him, a flick of the switch and he was back in control.  
He fell on his knees, the rage-filled creature vanishing from sight. The silver haired mercenary returned, breathing in and out quietly. He hung his head down, sweat dripping to the floor.

He stared at his shivering, blood-stained hands.

Humans did all this. . . Made these nightmares become reality. Humans?! The very beings that Dante had spent all his years defending with all of his might. . . Why?  
The confusion washed away as fast as it appeared, holding back to not lose his mind completely. The slayer bared his teeth and he recalled his sword from where it was impaled on those people.

"Justice?" Dante flicked the blood off Rebellion, "What a joke."

* * *

.

.

.

* * *

It was the afternoon, a kid dressed in red, sat alone on a bench. . . He was approached by a group of kids.

One of them spoke to him, and in that brief moment of distraction, one of the kids snatched his wallet and the group sprinted away.

"Give it back!" The kid in red shouted, he was able to keep up with his speed.

"Eat shit!" The other kid laughed raising it high in order to mock his smaller body. The kid was taken by surprise when he felt someone jump at him from behind.

A kid in black tackled him down to the ground.

"Give it back!" He yelled, much deeper than the other's.

The kid struggled with him, trying to knock him off, but without avail. He then returned his look to the kid in red, who was fighting off the other boys.

After a moment, he punched one of them out, then shoved the other back into the park's tree. He looked down to the other boy, and yelled out in anger.

"Twin freaks!" He spat, as he let go of the wallet.

* * *

.

.

.

* * *

A young adult shot up in his bed screaming in the dark. He felt himself slip away, and his body became overheated.

Another woman laying next to him rose and held his shoulders, "Shhh, shhhh look at me! Look at me!"

He fought back her grip, with one thing on his mind, to jump through the window and run away.

"Look at me, Dante?" She spoke again, her black fringe meeting her moody eyes. The young man stared at her mismatched irises for a moment. "Take a deep breath. . . You can control it."  
The young woman sharing his bed made sure he was breathing in and out, until he felt calm again.

"I know you miss him, it's common. Just remember in the back of your mind; He wasn't the same person. You're okay." Her red nails stroked his chin, and she soothed his chest.

Their lips locked, and he returned to rest with Lady while she comforted his emotions.

* * *

Dante stared at the corpses of those who deserved it, justified.

"It's my turn now." He said.

Though he stopped again, sensing something warm seep from his eyelids. He wiped his eyes to see what it was. . . "Am I crying?"

They were actual, warm tears washing away a fraction of the crimson from his palms.

Lady's words, he still remembered, ". . . Even a devil may cry when he loses a loved one, don't you think?"

He shook his head and focused on.

* * *

.

.

.

* * *

"Move it now." Sergei spoke through the intercom, "You know your orders!"

Dante glanced to his right to see more armed humans arrive through the sealed door. They pointed their laser sights at him, all aiming for his chest. Dressed in black swat team gear, they shouted for him.

"Sir! Get down on the ground!"

He stood on his feet, and they opened fire into his chest. Spraying him with lead, the troupe emptied their entire chambers.  
The slayer stood there and took it, forcing himself to stay put as they kept pumping him with shells. When they ran out, he just looked down at his chest.

"Are you ready?" Dante smirked, looking back up, "You're all going to die."

...

 **Thank you for reading, I hope you liked this.**

 **Special thanks to my beta reader Angel wolf**


	8. Chapter 8 The dark angel updated

**Chapter 8 - The Dark Angel**

* * *

Jill let out a slow, controlled breath and attempted to loosen her movements. She was walking like a toy soldier, but that wasn't going to help much if she kept on like this.  
She gave her shoulders a wiggle and lolled her head in a circle, letting her stride slacken to a more casual pace.  
It was a decent effort, enough to fool the enemy scouts, but for the onlookers, no. Those with a keen eye could tell she was a walking advert for muscle tension.

Her eyes moved frantically, heavy stress weighing on her shoulders, and her hands remained clenched by subconscious demand.

That strange man!? Who was he? More importantly, _what_ was he?

* * *

. . .

* * *

A bullet skid off the pillar, putting a dent in the glass container. Jill moaned lowly to herself as she peered away from cover. These gunfights were damn lousy for her health.  
One bullet made it through and Jill patted her warm shoulder. Just from the direct burning sensation through the rest of her arm, she knew she'd taken a slug. Damn it.

That means throwing any punches or getting hit here is gonna suuuuuuuuuck.

She also noticed the lack of gunfire from him. He stood there, watching so silently. Boots scratched the metal floor as the man approached, and he brought his knife up backwards for a swipe at Jill's chest.  
The girl shifted to her side, and her collarbone screamed at her to stop. She pointed her gun out and pulled the trigger. Click. . .

She should've counted.

"Rookie mistake! You would never survive the demons, little girl." The man spoke, mocking.

She didn't know how to react, he simply grinned back at her.

There was more silence between them, he wasn't planning on firing.

"Well?"

Her question sparked an unexpected response.

"Your demon boyfriend is going to kill you eventually. It doesn't matter if you survive this place."

"What the hell are you talking about? Have you gone mad?" She asked.

And just like that, his body begin to vibrate, arms stretching to abnormal lengths.

Horns sprouted from his face, and his eyes grew solid midnight blue.

The former-humanoid became a horrid beast, lacking any human qualities whatsoever. She stumbled back, struggling to get away on the metal floor.  
It didn't come after her, instead jumping into an air duct and crawling away. . . For some reason. That was it, he/it just disappeared, silently snaking through the channels above.  
She kept her breathing controlled, though it had hastened out of complete instinct regardless. She managed to rely on her respiratory training to carry her through.

. . .

Since when can Umbrella soldiers do that!? It was so different from anything before, it mutated at will rather than as a reaction to sustained damage.  
Clinically, all other B.O.W.'s had no consciousness, not even a human form. The closest thing was the Tyrant, or T-1, which didn't exactly bring back good memories.

Wait a second, demon boyfriend!?

What the hell, this was getting to be bad comedy at this point.

And the time before that, Dante's doppelgänger said, "You smell like a demon."

'I have to find Dante and fast. I need some god damn answers. Enough is enough!' Her head raged a headache unlike any other.

Time to treat some wounds. She came out of the disposable area, her hiding spot.

Cold air welcomed her the moment she stepped out into a narrow corridor. Everything seemed ragged and dusty here, like no one had tread through this place for ages.  
Pipes were broken all over the place, and some of them were still working, but they periodically leaked steam.

* * *

. . .

* * *

Walking away from the bodies felt like a punch in the gut, weirdly. He just needed to stay away, needed to keep his distance from death.

The nausea clawed at his throat, and he tried to force down the bile, but it was too late. Undigested water spewed out of his mouth, leaving him to cough and choke it out.  
His stomach kept on contracting violently, forcing everything up and out. His face was white and dripping bile, beaded by sweat. He lurched forward and sunk to his knees.  
The pungent stench invaded his nostrils and he heaved even though there was nothing left to give.

The trembling overwhelmed him. He staggered up, climbing onto his feet.

His head felt like a tractor plowed over it, pounding drums inside his skull. He managed to walk a few feet haggard, before collapsing into a wall, the stainless steel at least acting as a support.  
He slid down the walkway, moving ever so slowly as he continued to push on and on. The dizziness made everything blurry, robbing the cold out of the air. He heard strange sounds, like things clicking.  
Repeatedly, he heard a female voice, though it was too overpowered for him to hear. The fuzz of the spinning vision drove him nuts, but he struggled on and on still.

Finding himself in an empty, straight-shot hallway, he kept crawling on the vine.

This new place was spotless. He could see multiple small chem-shops, all abandoned and left open.

He felt the panic begin like a cluster of spark plugs.  
Fear wasn't something he was used to feeling, not anymore.

Pushing off from the wall, he was moving about like a hurricane raged inside of him. Tension grew in his face and hands, his mind replaying what he'd done like a video game.

His breathing became more rapid, more shallow. He kept feeling hungry for more blood, for more flesh.  
In seconds, he curled on the cold ground, like a terrified child trying to hide inside his shell, waiting and bleeding.

His only movements were the trembling of his limbs. Salty tears darkened his sleeves.

There he stayed, unaware of the passing time and he didn't really care to begin with.

How he missed having Lady around to help him wash away the fears, like they would do for one another in such moments. That was in the time after. . . The time after he'd left.  
Time flowed on until he could sense the feelings fading away. He realized he'd been visualizing those words in his mind, 'You can control it, You can control it.'  
He felt the calm again, just as before. His eyes blanketed like the ocean, he opened them to see the industrial lighting had somewhat softened, growing darker and tranquil.  
Dante gazed at the ceiling, wondering where Lady was right now. He'd rather be anywhere but here, that's for sure. It was the wrong day to wake up.

He laid his back over onto the flat warehouse floor.

Though he could still hear each of his exhales, rasping just the same as when he was young.

He'd had another panic attack, much like this one many years ago. He made it somehow, but it was devastating. No help; just himself. With the slightest of smiles and puffed eyes, he rose.

At this age, it was still horrible to deal with, no matter how many times he survived.  
There's one person deserving of his attention, now more than anyone else.

He roamed vaguely eastward, wanting more than anything to get to that silver-haired prick, having stolen his look. Jesus Christ, a Mundus servant. . .  
That schmuck would pay dearly for the miserable fate he made Vergil suffer, before he allowed himself to collapse again. No more, no more games. No more speeches.  
It was a time for violence. If he was no longer to be humanity's guardian, then at least for now, he would be in the grey.

He wandered through a maze of corridors and rooms without seeming purpose—Dante was hopelessly lost after the second turn.

He found an empty storage room, and took a moment to relax more. He was briefly interrupted with the faint sound of footsteps from the other side of the room.  
Guns drawn, he had their sights trained in the general direction of the sound and Dante dawdled over to check behind the shelf. Slowly he crept behind it, the metal stocked with cardboard boxes.  
What were these damn things filled with? Whatever. He didn't care to ask himself any questions anymore. His fists cracked, anger rising up within.

A man in cuffs stood there holding his hands high, "Don't shoot! Don't shoot!"

The man looked ragged and weary. . . Unlike anyone else he'd met in this place.

"I want to help you, listen to me!" The man fell on his knees shaking.

Dante's mind went back and forth.

Vengeance.

Love.

Vengeance. . .

He gritted his teeth and holstered the guns. Unaware, his face started to change.

His skin turned ashen as veins begin to appear around his cheeks.  
A gelid timbre took over. In his soul poured a malice that burned bright.

"You have twenty seconds: Talk."

The man took a deep breath and spoke, without daring to look him in the eye.

"Your-brother-is-still-alive! You-can-still-save-him!"

The man spoke rat a tat tat, though clearly and precisely. Dante's look softened, more amused.  
He raised an eyebrow, and though still angry, now at least he wasn't going to kill this man. He couldn't believe that thought just crossed his mind.

"Okay. . . What the hell is going on here!" He shouted, "Is this some kind of a dumb joke?"

The man dragged himself closer to the red mercenary.

"Look, Vergil is _forced_ to be here, yeah? Mundus had him enslaved so the humans could gain his power, because he _needs to infect them_. I saw it all."

"Wait, what? Infect them?" What did that mean?

"Yes, it's the reason he needs Umbrella. Through the disease, he can infuse himself. And by infecting them, he can become them, and they become him. It's his way out into the human world.  
But! There is a way you can set him free, purge his essence from Vergil. If you broke him, if you broke Nelo Angelo, he'll be free for good. However, of the other's infected, I don't know.  
It may be that the only way to stop Mundus is to kill every infected you find."

". . . How do you know this?" Dante let the thought sit in his mind for a moment, "How do you know _any_ of that?"

The man trembled a bit.

"It's complicated, these walls are thinner than you believe."

The slayer grimaced to himself.

"Fair enough, I guess, but what about that name, 'Nelo Angel?'"

His worn out benefactor grumbled to himself.

"That's _not your brother_. If you _ever_ meet him, break the Armor. . . It's a replica, and you have to destroy it.  
They used to lock him up inside that thing, it makes him. . . Different. They said the armor's only deficiency was it couldn't control his 'Devil Trigger,' whatever that is.  
I don't know a 100% for certain, it's just what I picked up. They're rather loose-lipped around here."

"Break the armor. . . Got it, but- Why are you helping me?" Dante said, and at this thought, drew his sword to the man's throat.

He sighed, unexpectedly, his eyes checking out the stain amulet revealed from his neck.

"Let's call it a 'favor returned.' Remember? You scratched my back, I'll scratch yours."

Dante stared at his face for a moment. His features seem familiar indeed, but he couldn't place who.  
The stranger saw his confusion, and he knew he had to give him more.

"Let me refresh your memory. . . About 3 months ago, you were assigned by a rich man to keep me away from his daughter."

Ah, dummy.

"Brad?" Dante yelled, surprise obvious, "What the hell did they do to you; why are you _here_?"

Brad's face brightened a bit.

"I owe you a huge favor, man. I got intel someone that looked like you was spotted around here, so I went to investigate it. You're kind of a well-known figure in more 'advanced' circles.  
I figured out you had to have had a twin brother, there were two birth certificates registered to Sparda. Kind of a distinctive name not to notice.  
Anyway, I pulled some strings and got a case opened on it. I'd no idea there was any such thing as a 'demon king,' but I played along undercover. Got close, but. . ."

Dante knelt down to his level, "Ya got caught?"

Brad looked aged now, maybe it was just the thick beard. Captivity makes animals of us all.  
He nodded with a tear in his eye, the hardship in this place painful to remember, even if he hadn't escaped yet.

Dante closed his lids and sighed.

"You didn't have to do that. A little bit of payment, maybe a pizza or somethin', would'a been fine by me." His look turned human again, sullen.

"Do you wanna know what your brother said, when he first woke up?"

Dante pursed his lip and stood.

"I don't need to know that, thanks for the tip. Let's get outta here."

"You have to hear this." Brad said pushing himself on his feet.

Dante fired one shot, disintegrating the cuffs around his hands. He pulled a paper from his pocket and handed it to him.

"This'll help ya find the way out, I should know." The silver man replied.

And then Brad said it.

"He forgives you."

Dante stopped in tracks, the back of his head an awful target to look at.

He frowned to himself, the silence concerning.

Dante finally looked back at him, "No one would forgive me. I don't deserve it."

He wrote the comment off, then walked away. Brad watched him vanish through the open door.

'Now why would he think that of himself, with all the positive things he's done?' The human pondered.

* * *

. . .

* * *

Dante walked out, a stern eye peering off his face. Bad moods galore today, from one segment of misery to the next.

'I hate you.' He thought to himself. Was that really true? It sure used to seem that way.

What an over-the-top, complicated relationship.

He kept his glare forward. Dante drew his guns again; it's the only way to aim from here. He could sense it. . . Something creeping away from him.  
Even though he was in a corridor that seemed specific to elevators that could take him around, there were signs on the walls that told of several locations. This place held more than it seems.

"Here kitty-kitty. . ." Dante whispered and continued his light footsteps.

He rounded left. There was an opened double-door. To him, it was more like a vertical shaft by looking at the interior.

The stench he caught told him Sergei was near. He smirked and jumped down, feeling the massive gusts blow by.

It was a long way down.

He landed with a crash that echoed all throughout the facility. The smell is getting stronger, he could recognize the bastard anywhere.  
Sprinting out through a set of glass doors, he ran through the abandoned, gloomy paths.  
The place had barely any color unlike upper levels, the ground was no way clean for he spotted small spiders and rats moving about.

The pipes hissed at him, bursting out scalding steam occasionally.

Several of the hoses were no longer functional, so rats had wormed their way in and out through the rubber and the steel. Dante just shook his head at the rodents.

A light at the end clicked on, revealing a cylinder shape hall. It looked like a strange, wide machine-room. . . At least it seemed that way.

He knew there had to be something up, this man he'd encountered was even more devious than his brother.  
The rage boiled inside him, scorching his chest as he trudged on into the hall, coming upon a familiar figure.

"So, we meet again, old man." Dante's blood started to boil.

Sergei turned to face him, that smile never left his face.

"Oh yes. . . You feel it, don't you? Your demonic powers urging to come out and play."

With a single flinch, Dante drew the sword from his back. He levied the weapon towards his enemy, holding it up casually as if it bore no weight.

"Can you tango? I don't give out lessons, so I kinda need a quick answer on that. . ." Dante spoke lowly, a sardonic undertone to him.

His eyes flickered between red and blue, the good willing out no longer.

"Do you really think, that by killing me, you will atone for your sins and 'bring your brother back?'" Sergei replied calmly.

He clapped, and new daemons jumped down from nowhere.

"Vergil knows that you betrayed him, as if he was in no way your other half. You sold him out easily."

"No more words. Just die." The slayer said.

The demons surrounded, closing in because he could not escape. He didn't _want_ to escape, he was right where he needed to be. They drew closer, diseased mugs crawling toward him.  
Sergei laughed as he turned his back and pushed a button. An iron seal came down, entrapping Dante alone with the creatures, their scaly flesh growing near.

The slayer's fist's tightened as he was left to their hungry jaws, the large room an industrial hellhole.

He smiled to himself, knowing what the outcome was already.

The smile then vanished as he was reminded suddenly of a conversation he'd once had.  
It was an immortalized memory. . . The day his twin has falling into the grasp of madness.

* * *

He threw his hand forward with so much anger, whipping it across Dante's face.

The crack of skin contacting skin echoed off the walls. Vibrations of pain started.

Vergil's knuckles were bright red, exactly the same shade on his brother's cheek. The sibling merely stared, mouth closed, eyes bloodshot, wondering why.

"Don't you dare touch me." Vergil spat in the coldest tone he'd ever heard, "I don't want you anywhere near me!"

With that, the older man walked away, leaving him behind.  
It'd be about a year later when they'd meet again. . . And there would be a difficult duty to carry out.

* * *

A hand ripped it's way through the steel safety lock. Red eyes emerged as the devil hunter burst his way through to the adjoining office.  
He tore the steel to ribbons, his body covered in daemon blood. Whether it was his own or from the many disemboweled demons behind him, Sergei couldn't say.  
Dante looked driven, despite his wounds. He didn't care, he was going to kill this son of a bitch. He would rip him apart.

"You must be the most horrible sibling ever." The Russian man chuckled.

"Aheh, you must not know much about me or my brother." He flicked demon flesh off his shoulder. Twirling Rebellion, the slayer aimed at Sergei's heart.

Pushing off his feet, he surged forward with a stinger. More than anything, he fought to plunge the blade into the man's chest.  
Sergei brought his palm up and a strong current erupted around them. The glow faded, revealing his arm, and _it was not human_.

His right limb was covered in a thick, purple-crimson membrane. The new thing grew tentacles as his body strengthened further.  
Wrapping feelers around the blade, the Russian wrenched Dante to side, thrashing him into the wall. The slayer felt the ribs in his back fracture.  
He laid there for a second wondering what in the hell just happened. Was that a god damn reversal?

He sighed to himself as he stood.

"I've always hated magicians." Dante spoke pessimistically.

Sergei grinned openly as he shook out his mutated arm.

"Yes. . ." The Russian laughed, "Surrender to the Rage. . . Bring it out, now! You better hurry, for her sake."

"'Her?' What gimmick do ya got this time?"

* * *

. . .

* * *

Corpses emerged, standing off between them and the elevator, just where they needed to go.

Chris and Myles locked eyes. The other man turned to face the ghouls, their eyes actually luminous.

Another place, another time, they could be safe, away from these infectious cadavers.

It was not to be. Today, it was time to kill what was already dead.

"Hey, ugly!" He shouted at one that got close, and they were too near.

"Eeeehh. . ." The corpse groaned out for something, some kind of human contact. It didn't know why, it just remembered. Chris fired two, then three shots.

The rounds rippled the flesh, tearing it's head apart. It stumbled. With the third shot, the creature let out a strange squeal, and fell to the ground lifeless.  
Myles aimed at the next one closest to him, ready to make him a feast, and he fired twice. He spun around on his heels as it collapsed and he pulled out his combat knife.  
He knifed a invalid in the face, driving the blade through it's frontal lobe and into it's decaying stem. The living dead fell inanimate.  
Threshing the bayonet free, he flung it at another carcass, striking it straight through the forehead. The puncture released a spray of disease.

They were careful to avoid the mist, praying that nothing would catch up to them. They were outnumbered as it was. So many lifeless bodies, somehow pulled along by invisible puppet strings.

More and more, they fired off shells in vain, only painting the walls red. They had to conserve ammo, there wasn't a use in blistering off shots wildly.

Things were starting to look grim, and they knew it, they knew this feeling far too well. It was a miracle Chris had even survived that mansion anyhow.

Out of nowhere, all of the remains exploded to pieces, unbound by buckshots just as Chris and Myles hit the floor.

Once the smoke cleared, five agents emerged, all clad in black swat gear.

"Jesus Christ! I'm glad to see you guys." Chris hollered with a sigh of relief, climbing back up to his feet. Myles stayed on one knee, breathing heavily.

"Just my luck, first mission turns out like this." He said, eventually managing to stand.

He wasn't as used to the exertion as Chris, this was getting practically ridiculous.

"Welcome to the group," Jack said, blonde and tall, "We party when our lives hang by a thread. Gets pretty gnarly."

The others did a little high-five with each other. It was one of these moments where they'd pump each other up, keep their sights high, so to speak.

Chris tilted his head to the side and spoke out.

"Jill, come in, what's happening on your end?"

"Help me. . . ! Pl-P-. . . _Pleeease_. . . Its killing _everything._ " Her voice warbled, sounding tear-filled.

What in the hell was going on? Chris always hated these types of situations.

"What's going on, where are you?" He cleared his throat, trying to remain as calm as possible.

Still, fear polluted his voice.

"I'm going crazy. . ." She whimpered.

The agents looked at one another, looking anxious. What was going on with Jill?

The answer came.

". . . I'm in the room of the fallen."

It was stifled by gasps and chokes.

"Okay. . . It's okay, just breathe. Where is that, exactly?" Chris tried to keep his voice strong.

"Wait a sec," One of the men pulled up a map on a sizable touchscreen and turned it around to the group. "According to this map, the room she's talking about is where they store bodies of. . .  
Some kinda failed experiments. It's down, not very far from that elevator, but it's pretty deep. About a hundred meters or more."

They'd acquired blueprints of the facility from an information terminal reserved for employee use.

"All right, Jill? Listen, we're coming down, we're going to get you out of there. Find a place to hide, somewhere you won't be seen. We'll keep you updated, I promise."

". . . " Mainly surging static filled the line, until, "Hurry."

It was whispered, but huddled close. She was in danger, and that just wouldn't do at all.  
Chris let go of the ear-piece and slowly put his hand by his hip. Time to move.

"Everyone, fall in. . ."

The group moved together, watching their backs for one another. In a place like this you can't be too careful. Chris thought to himself, 'Hold on, girl. You've got someone waiting for you at home.'

They saw in front of them a dirty blood-stained hall. Thanks to Rebecca, they're in the right place. They could see shadows of monsters. . . Whatever they were.

The walls were marked with gouges out of the steel; Hunters afoot.

"Contact: twenty meters to the East!" Chris barked, taking charge over Jack. He told no lies, to the East lay a metal well where figures gathered.

More strange noises. . . More shadows approaching.

He silently waved his hand forward, a non-verbal signal for 'fall out.' Each soldier broke off from the group, taking strategic positions.  
A cold laughter ran through them all as a strong chill followed. Something jumped down, banging the grated ground. They could just feel it, the thing was blocking their way.  
Of course it was. They saw him. A black figure, two horns sprouting from it's forehead, stood near the gate. Their blood froze over, it's mechanized glare burning into their mind.  
No one moved another inch, not even the rowdiest. All around the stranger, his pets were gathering, ready to pounce at them.

All eyes were fixated ahead. . . Before the carnage started.

Nelo Angelo, the hulking knight, grumbled out a death-rattle, growing louder and louder as he charged toward them.  
Releasing a blue fire from his right hand, the arced shot spliced the hunters, unexpectedly and their intestines flowed freely. Why was he attacking them?  
The sentinel swung back with his zweihander, cleaving through twisted flesh as he slaughtered the entire batch.

One of them managed to keep going at him, despite losing it's lower half, but the Angel caught his opponent by it's lunging throat and held it up high.

Without a word, nor any noise at all, he slammed it into the ground.

Once he was done, the sterile being marched before them, hacking his gargantuan blade at the ground. He stopped to scowl, the look of it's helmet naturally aggressive.

They knew not why it stopped, it had made quivering cubes of jelly out of those mutations, so what was to stop and stare at?

Perhaps this sadistic entity was just looking at it's prey in summation, or taking in whether they were a threat.

Silence reigned, they still knew no reason why. It was so uncomfortable, as if his stare itself was suffocating them in cellophane.  
It would explain why none of them could move, apart from obvious distress. Sweat dripped off the side of Jack's temple. Chris's fingers twitched.  
Each had a tick-reaction to this beast, unsure what to make of this tense standoff.

Myles opened fire impulsively, raising his gun when he saw the knight's steel tremble.

The other men followed suit, raising their firearms and mowing out cartridges like the pros they were. All their bullets sparked like lightning as the cavalier pushed through their hail.  
Though most of their aim was on his chest and face, the soldier's focus was lost. No slug made a dent. It was impossible, he just moved through the spray like a man would through rain.  
Nelo Angelo reached out and grabbed Jack's face. He crushed his fingers and his head caved in like a grapefruit, drained of all it's juice. Air was forced out of the lungs, his pulp-head coming away.  
The body fell to the ground, twitching as it recalled Jack's last thoughts.

They saw their decapitated comrade hit the deck, deader than any zombie. As if a spell had been lifted, everyone bolted the opposite way.

The dark one watched, amused. A voice within him whispered, programming his thoughts.

'Follow them, kill 'em all.'

His arm twitched uncontrollably, refusing the sword. A scream ripped his brain open as he touched the weapon and swung it through the empty air, slicing into the dead man's corpse.  
His head felt cracked open, like an egg next to the fryer. 'Follow them, kill 'em all,' The voice repeated, so familiar. He shook his face out, and readied his blade. Slowly, his footsteps followed them.  
Trailing behind was no matter, he knew the layout inside and out. It was branded into his cortex, so he wouldn't ever forget.

* * *

The group ran through a door to the side, pushing past any threat using sheer adrenaline. They had to get as far away as possible, that _thing_ was after them. Umbrella was a scary company.  
They kept running and running, staying close together mostly until they reached an open area. Knowing they didn't have long, Chris guided the now-leaderless entourage.

"Regroup! Regroup-and-fall-back!" Chris screamed.

One of the members accidentally ran through into a separate hall, cutting him off from the rest of the group. Chris bared his teeth as the mistake would cost them. They heard a male scream.

A flash light into the room and sure enough. . . There he was, the man was having his entire cranium scooped out by a Licker. He'd run right into it, and he was beyond saving now.  
The entire top half of his head was missing, it was just a body with a gaping mouth now, in the clutches of a weaponized tongue. Another screamed at the sight. Great, now they have the Licker's attention too.

Two members gone in two minutes. They should prevent it from becoming three.

Undead came from nowhere, growling as they're bodies seemed to be impaled on machinery. Where had these creatures come?

No time to figure it out now, book it.

"That was a demon, a fucking demon." One said as they ran still, firing out into the dark behind them.

Creatures and splashes of flesh with blood fill the air, the lights flickering in these darker floors.

The sound of that same industrial laugh followed them nearby, their chest's pounding more and more.

Chris heard metal footsteps, and decided that this was where this lunacy ended. He removed a grenade from his vest, the pin pulled already, and he turned to face their pursuer.  
One hurl was all it took, the object flying out into the inky corridor. Redfield heard it, the sound of something hitting metal. There was no wall, it had to be him. He paced back as fast as he could.  
Flames erupted, mulching up the Licker and the staggering stiffs. In the middle of the heat, the black figure stood still, unharmed.

He just stood there, a silhouette inside an inferno of shrapnel.

There wasn't even a scratch.

"Damn it!" Chris yelled. Rejoining the others, they continued to sprint through the facility, to anywhere but here.

Christ, this was worse than anything he'd gone through at the Spencer Estate, or even during his siege on Rockfort island.

This was beyond his expertise, it was demonic. He raised his assault rifle up and fired at a new target, a pane of glass.  
It shattered instantly, and a temporary escape for them opened up. He had no idea whether it was a short or long drop, he just knew they needed a way out.  
For now, this would have to do. It was now or never, either die here or live on somewhere else. Either way, the window was their best bet, cumulatively.

The commanding officer stopped just short the window pane, and let the group catch up.

"Go!" Chris shouted as the remaining team booked it right past him.

Out the window they went. There wasn't enough time to reload his assault rifle, but the shotgun had one round left. So Chris reached for his side arm and kept it leveled as he walked forward.

Angel led the charge on him.

Chris felt his wrist tighten as the being neared, it's strange blade pointed at his throat.

He screamed at the beast, outright refusing to give in to it's intimidation.

"Sir!" Myles stayed behind, leveling his assault rifle to support Chris.

"Gotta make it count!" Chris said

An orange flash and sweltering echo bounced off the walls. . .

The shotgun lay smoking, knocked aside mere seconds after it's firing. The Angel delivered a brazen fist into the man's jaw.

Chris gazed back up at the creature, shaking like a leaf in fall, about to crack, "This is a nightmare."

He closed his eyes, mumbling to himself. He could feel the frigid air, the dead breath of his enemy baring down on him. He tried to be brave, muster something to fight back with at least.  
Chris really did try. . . This thing wasn't like tyrants or of B.O.W.s. It was like hell coming to life. The crippling fear took control of him at last, he no longer feels his legs. Strangely, everything went numb.

He looked down.

The sword was lodged there, buried through his chest. He never thought he'd see his own blood again, not for a long time.

"Oh." He replied.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading.**

 **Special thanks to my beta reader Angel wolf for his help.**


	9. Chapter 9 Jill and Dante History 2

Autumn... oh how I loathe this time of the year, I could never smile in this time, I could never find joy in anything. You're probably wondering why would I hold such feelings for weather right? It's just... the worst thing of all, is the wind. Forget everything else, no matter how hard one tries to prepare for the cold. Wind is always a middle finger to whatever you try and the cold seeps through in layers you wear.

Okay okay, the color is just nice.

My eyes closed as I took a breath of the cold dry air.

I feel the wind rushing by, a cold crisp wind carries crackling leaves... Each on scraping and rushing against the stony ground, cascading into one another which are personified by the wind...

The leaves start to move as if by some divine intervention, as if they were ready to travel where ever the wind blows. The last leaf falls off a tree, making it more barren then it was, as it falls to the ground it is lifted up by a burst of wind. It floats further away into the distance, and it falls to the quietly. It is lost in the millions of orange, brown, and yellow leaves... memories. Not all of them fond though, as much as anyone would care to admit.

Puffs of steam emanated from her lips, lost in her own thoughts. A young girl around the age of 17 sat on the bench in the empty park. Even in the gaze to her surroundings, she clearly wasn't pay against to what was around. _Her lights are on, but no one's home_. The girl had shoulder length brunette hair that she always tied it back in a ponytail, fair skin, and ocean blue eyes. With her hair in the opening of a grey baseball cap. Her name is Jill Valentine a young soon to be officer.

Like when it comes to anything with waiting, she stared off into space.

She still remember that day very clearly even though it's been 6 years. She stood in front of a coffin. The girl waited for her to answer back, she wanted to say it 'I'm really sorry but she was gone, there is nothing she can do to change that. Death was like a poker dealer, even when a bad hand is dealt, it still demands that payment when one plays against it.

She was quiet good sister. The last time they talked, they fought.

Jill found herself struggling to her feet the weather was too cold for her and she understood why, 'No one can understand what's like to lose a young sister.' She thought to herself, taking the time for her hands to rub against her legs to offer a moment of warmth. It didn't help but it at least it got her mind off the subject, for a moment at least.

Mary Jane... a ginger 9 year old girl who her life was stolen from her, she would have been 15 today... This was Jill's routine in every autumn. To sit there and remember the good days, and to reflect a bit of what's going on with her life.

To those who don't know a damn thing about Jill, she's the perfect student and daughter. What a load of bull. No… it's not like that, everybody treats her like an alien or a disease. Like as much as there are those who lost something in the past, it's a buzz word. Never speak of it because it's distasteful to remind someone with just the memory. It's like being shamed to when family whine about being not being called when they could easily call the family member on their own volition. That is what Jill had with her family, no one made the attempt to help cope with that in her life.

It frustrated her that they don't want to deal with the moody Jill. Jerks.

Several theories went through her mind of why she is been treated like this, oh that's right... it's the fact that she is always buried within school work.

Jill finally decided to leave, she placed her hands upon her chest and whispered. "Rest in peace sister."

Jill was about to whisper something else, but her voice was cut off by a sound of a movement, a heavy steps that felt way too strange, an unholy sound followed

"What's that sound?" Her breath hitched in her throat.

The sound came again. It was the sound of something hard clattering against the stone and disturb the grass. Whatever it was, it was big and getting closer from the sound of it. It was hard to tell where it came from; the echoes masked the direction. Jill blinked trying hard to remain calm, it's her fault for coming here late after all.

Her senses directed her at a shadow up ahead. A shadow looked humanoid but not exactly... it was like the thing is cloaked. A strange purple-like fog erupted from it, Jill's heart hammered within her as she was afraid to look at the thing. Her vision started to blur for some odd reason.

Between the fogs she saw him, a man in red stood in front of her yelling something, but couldn't hear very clearly and she slipped into darkness.

The young man drew his broad sword of some sort and smirked. "Bring it on." The skull like creature swung a large glistering Scythe in the air. An unholy sound can be heard from it as the weapon came down at the man draped in red. He swiftly brought his sword to the front of his face clashing with the creatures though the impact was a little too much for him, his body was pushed back with a feeling of burning vibration.

"A tough fella aren't ya?" The creature vanished causing him to stop confused. His senses screamed, for some reason he cannot locate it.

The creature's jaw opened as it descended into the man from behind, Scythe thrusting in his back. The man stepped to the side but not until he felt a painful slash from his back to the front of his abdomen. He fell on his knees gasping, his eyes never left the creature in front of him once again it vanished into dark fog.

The man slightly bent his legs and constantly looked from his left to right then in reverse. He sighed to himself and utter another witty line. In several seconds afterward, the spirit of some sort glided out of the ground.

He breathed and draw his twin weapons, preparing for another attack. This time he felt something underneath, he bared his teeth and jumped with all the strength he got dodging another unwanted slash. A strange odor entered his lungs. His aimed in midair and fired at the creature, it made a sound and stopped for a moment. The man draw his sword again and slashed upward stunning the creature one last time.

Once the thing was at the mercy of the man, he smirked when he took hold of the handle of his sword and brought it up from the ground in a single motion. Like a… golf swing? As the spirit went up, stared at it to fall back to him and flexed his palm out. The next thing to happen was like a sideways top, the blade spun in place. From there, the spirit dropped to the ground then let go of its scythe.

The creature screeched and vanished, escaping the fight.

The man's grip on his sword loosened, he took a moment to breath and feel better, his wound is already healing but the affect is still there. His gaze directed toward the girl, to him she seemed unharmed.

He came closer and knelt down and touched her forehead. "A little fresh air will help, last time I checked, it hasn't killed anybody." He whispered. He placed his hand under her knees and carried her...

A beam of lightening appeared in the sky. Like a random thread that just drops down to the ground creating smoke. Once the air cleared A woman appeared. she had a long blonde hair. She wore a sunglasses in spite of the darkness that engulfed the place."So there he is. Sparda's weakling."

.

A blue figure took a breath, as he walked through the house, troubled by a certain thoughts. Everything looked opulent from the gleaming wood floors covered in loving throw rugs to the sheer curtains billowing like mist on the wall of floor to ceiling windows that faced a slope and then a moonlight. Nothing else. The furnishing were old but had a story to tell, so they had to be antiques with what looked like hand-carved workmanship each area of the room melting into the beauty of the next with some delicate settees next to more heavy bookcases and fireplaces that mated with the walls that appeared to be actually used."What should I do?.."he whispered. It's been a week since that dream started.

He would see himself walking in a dark place, he cannot see anything, his breath quickened as another sound of footsteps appeared behind him. The sound of nails clicking against a wooden floor moving down to him. No... not footsteps, to him it's either someone in all fours or an ugly demon following him. His fingers felt like they were craved on the hilt of Yamato, his strong weapon. A light shined before him and there stood Eva. His heart skipped a beat."Mama?" he called.

Eva's face was red and puffy like she had been crying for hours."My baby, you're dead."

"What!?" He tried to move closer, reach out to her and touch her arm, but he felt something cold thrust into him from behind and come out from his abdomen, Vergil tasted blood in his mouth, a scream ripped through him. He froze for a moment not sure what to do, his arms were covered in crimson color.

His eyes gazed up only to meet the cold eyes of his twin brother."Why?" Dante's lips moved to form half a smile, an expression he never seen before.

Vergil shrugged pushing the thoughts away."No way, he will not do that to me." he said and took multiple books from the shelve, ready to go back to his room.

Near the stairs a brunette man named Zane waited for him, a fire wielding demon and a good friend to the blue twin. The two met long ago when he was only 8 years old kid. He used to be responsible to watch over the place.

"Are you feeling well?" Zane asked."You look paler then usual."

Vergil rubbed his temple, a way to stay calm."I'm well, it's just that nightmare. I did not rest peacefully for days."

Zane placed his hand upon his shoulder."My apologies, I don't have knowledge on nightmares. You just stop worrying, try to relax."

Vergil pushed his hand off of him,"You should come to realize that I have a big responsibility. Did you contact Lucia?" he spoke as calm as he could. With that he went up the stairs leaving him behind.

"Yes."Zane shouted."Everything is fine in their place."

The front door opened harshly, colliding with the wall. A young man on red came in, there was a brunette girl in his arms.

"Dante who is that?" Zane asked and rolled his eyes."Don't make me regret covering your butt young man."

"Later dude, I will tell you what happened." was his only answer, he immediate went to the room nearby and closed the door.

.

.

She was awakened by a nearby sound and she lay blinking, hearing somebody moving about and footsteps approaching. A candle was set down, throwing shadows onto the brown walls.

'Am I dead?' she thought, still half asleep. She could remember evil eyes looking at her every movement, and she prepared to sit up and face whoever had brought her here. She was ready to die, for deep down she was convinced that she had crossed paths whom she encountered, would kill her; there was little doubt in that assumption anyway.

At last, she pulled herself to a sitting position with no terror in her eyes: for there was no fear of death lingering in her heart. In the mission to become an officer, she had prepared herself to welcome death with a smile on her face, leaving no satisfaction to her attacker. She didn't have the guts to take herself out, why not let something else take care of that for herself. At least it will happen while doing _something_ worthwhile.

Though she saw a young man in a red trench coat. He had a silky silver hair. It was brushed down with his bangs partially covering his eyes; his trench coat made him look emaciated; his face was pale and his eyes were watching hers very closely.

"Who are you?" There was something about him that made her feel intimated.

"You okay, babe?" He asked. "You're lucky that I found you when I did, doing the tango with the reaper is never fun."

She looked down at her hand, for she wanted to avoid his focused eyes. "Thanks." She said loud enough for him to hear.

Jill heard a pause in his breathing, like he was holding back a shout. "Why were you out there at this hour of the night? If it's to gaze at the stars, because sister, you need to pick a better place to do so" The joke rolled off his tongue. Jill bared her feet beneath her lips and stopped herself from snapping at him.

"I..." She whispered, she frowned at his direction. "Shut up Pretty boy, it's not your business. How about you behave like a gentleman and introduce yourself."

"You think I'm pretty?" he said with a smirk.

His eyes… she thought that he could easily make anyone confess their darkest secrets just by looking at them. It was obvious to her that he was seriously happy by her answer. "Tony Redgrave, say it only once, it has a longer lasting effect for it that way."

"Huh, what's with the silver hair?"

"I grew up too soon." He replied without hesitating.

"Are you always this obnoxious?" She clenched a fist. "Can I punch you?"

Tony crossed his arms and chuckled. "As appealing as that sounds, I think I'll pass. Excuse me." He casually walked away. Once he closed the door behind him, a brunette man came in. Dante started telling him about everything happened during his walk.

"So how is she? Is it really worth it?" Zane asked.

"Vergil is going to murder me for this." Dante said with so much annoyance. "Going out in the middle of the night without him, and then dancing with Hell Vanguard. That hard ass."

The memory was a bit vague of their meeting but it still bored into his mind. Even now it sent chills down his spine thinking about it.

"Since when do you care? Though I feel sorry for you Dante, having a pain in the ass brother like him. Who says, you still cannot handle a fight, when you're actually cannot handle a fight and barely took the creature down." The man placed his hand upon Dante's shoulder. "You could have been killed."

"Whatever Zane, I'll see you tomorrow goodnight."

Zane bared his teeth, fighting back the urge to punch him. "You know what, twins are the same in many things, and have fun." He waved goodbye and vanished through the front door.

Dante went for the kitchen, seeking a good beer to calm his nervous, he felt his body tremble once again, the second time in 1 hour. What he heard is true, that ugly bastard is tough and had a bad affects. Especially with someone still under training. Something he'll never admit out loud, he won't get that satisfaction.

'I'll be fine.'

He took a deep breath, took a bottle and opened it. He felt really eager, he never stopped until he drank every last drop of it. When the bottle was empty, he tightened his grip for the bottle to crumple. Once the life was squeezed out it, he cast it aside into the corner, where the garbage can is. He noticed the pile of dust that started to gather in many parts of the kitchen."We need a maid, we can't keep up in this big house."

.

.

.

The room was almost dark, he was setting on the bed looking over the moonlight through the curtains. His large katana was in his hand pulsing like it know his feelings. His amulet was in the other hand. His eyes were focused in the big red jewel, somehow it bring a strange comfort to him.

His twin brother and he have reunited at last now, he can do it, the promise he made that night, years ago. Together they will be alright." I won't break it, mother."

Images hunted his mind, at the mention of her.

The light leaving her gentle eyes, as they impaled her to the wall. For five painful seconds she twitched or squirmed, her mouth hanging slightly open, taking her last breath.

His grip tightened around the amulet."They will pay mama, I promise."

He was about to lay down again when it happened, a feeling in his guts taking away any kind of relaxation he could have, and he knew what it was, though it's time there is an odor in the air. He placed Yamato in the belt and ran out of the room, he heard sound of glass coming from the kitchen.

"Dante what's going on?" He pondered and sprinted down the stairs. He stopped at the end surprised by the smell he caught... he sniffed for a moment, until his eyes caught the door where Jill is.

Vergil frowned and went to the kitchen. Dante was over the sink washing.

"Brother I have a very important question I need to ask,"

"Yeah..." Dante answered without looking back.

"Why is there a human in our house?" His cold voice ready to snap at the next statement.

Dante sighed and turned to look at him, and there it was the annoying look Vergil always have when he is upset. "Look I couldn't leave her there, she was targeted by Hell Vanguard so I had a little party with... it and..."

Vergil raised his hand, stopping him. "You did what!?" Dante can sense fear in his voice, no matter how hard he tried to hide, it's there.

They say Twins had a strange connection.

"Do you have a death wish? Why didn't you tell me? I would have walked out with you." Vergil went on.

"I'm fine, I made it run away." Dante replied.

Vergil shrugged angrily, "It's true I have the patience of an angel, how Ironic." he said and crossed his arms."Kick that human out, or I will do it my way. My own fun and satisfying way." he shouted as he was going back up,

"Yeah, got it mister smiley." Dante shouted after him."Seriously it doesn't hurt to smile every once and awhile."

"Lay off." Vergil replied and slammed the door shot.

Dante returned to the room, once he opened the door Jill was on her feet ready to leave."Wait babe, I'll walk with you." Jill looked at him, for a moment not sure what to say."Yeah..."

In silence together they walked out of the front door, The weather seems to her much colder now and with the strange silence it was in a way scary to her.

"So you're not from this town right?" Dante asked.

"No, I'm here for a couple of days."

Out of Now where Dante held her Shoulder a little roughly, she was literally startled and her fingers are almost on the trigger of her gun, pain started to spread from her shoulders to her arms.

"That is so cool, how about I take you in tour? I know the great spots here, and the weirdest." he said with so much enthusiasm.

Jill couldn't help but to smile at that dorky-pretty face."Sure, how about tomorrow after-none?"

He was really a weirdo in her eyes, but the type that she likes indeed.

"It's a date."

Jill frowned again."hold it wolf boy, you don't think you will get a girl like that do you? smart ass."

"Oh easy gorgeous, I'm not that bad." he said and let go, giving her the chance to pull away

Jill shrugged with a quite laugh."Boys."

The two took a turn to the left, into a dimly lit alley."What's your name?" Dante asked.

"Jill Valentine."

"Oh baby, will you be my valentine?" he laughed. Jill frowned and moved a little faster in front of him.

"Wait, I was just about to be charming and fun. Give me a chance please..." He called and placed his hands together.

Jill's gaze returned to him, and she couldn't help but to smile."Okay I admit, you're adorable in a weird way."

"See, that wasn't so hard to say."

... **I cannot believe I'm saying this, but Vergil was absolutely smart for staying away from humans, he knew this will result in a loss he cannot handle. He knew this is a price we had to pay as Sparda's children...**

 **Oh how I wish to turn back time...**

.. Thank you for reading..


	10. Chapter 10 Limits

**Chapter 10." Limits."**

A lone man sat in his office, the room was dark except for the flicker from a bank of observation monitors over rooms of his group, and ten of them all over the place where he could watch everyone, the radio man never stopped to talk about the outbreak in Russia, where he couldn't help the sorrowful smile on his face. "So are you going to tell me why did you do it? what you will gain from this?" A cocky board voice echoed behind him. A chuckle escaped his lips and he didn't bother to look, he knew exactly who was it.

"I told you Trish, I have known Sparda long ago, I was surprised to see his children all grown up. Why would you care anyway? after all you're the one who started this, and the consequences will bite you in the ass."

 **Dante stood helpless as she approached then her arms around him. "He cares for nothing but to control you," She uttered in his ear. "You don't want that right? You can make mother proud. Get rid of him, be a true son of Sparda that everyone look up to."**

 **Dante shook his head. "But he is my brot..."**

 **Trish placed a finger on his lips. "You don't need him, he is a control freak, and do you see how he is willing to kick you out of the house? There is only one who can take Sparda's place and that's you. Do it and you will be one step of having your mother back home."**

 **Dante's eyes changed and turned empty, like a spell was placed upon him. "What... can I do?" He whispered, his voice devoid of any emotion.**

 **A menacing smile grew on Trish's face, "Send Vergil to Mallet Island and forget about him, he will never come out alive. Do it."**

 **Dante tilted his head and walked forward to the library. "Yes..."**

 **Vergil was on the ground, near a shelf in the middle of the wide place, reading a book he brought from Fortuna's library. The bookmark he used rotted away for the most part, but enough was left over for him to find his place. Then the door opened.**

 **Vergil gazed up at the door. "For someone that can outrun most animals, you're rather slow on leaving?" Vergil rubbed his temples as he looked up. Something was off.**

 **"I'm fine." Dante answered with deadpan tone. "I have something you should know."**

The blonde woman entered the office and took a seat on the armrest next to him. "Look that was the past, I'm not the same woman anymore: my heart has awoken."

O'Brain crossed his arms, the smile never vanished from his face. "You don't get it do you? Dante might be mister softy for keeping you alive, but what do you think of his twin? the grudge he must have for you, a disgusting fraud who turned his brother into a traitor, made him suffer and barely walk out alive. Good luck with forgiveness there darling." Trish thought about it for a moment, as much as she doesn't like to admit it he's right, she is the reason of what happened to them, it's her sin that she cannot take it back.

"I do not think Dante will abandon his brother again, by defending your sorry behind." O'Brian continued.

After Vergil was gone Dante never been the same. He still gave her that angry look from time to time, like his eyes are screaming at her of what she had done, even though he said that he had forgiving her."It's fine, if my time with Dante is over I will walk away and let him be with his family."

The collected man laid back on the chair, most of his attention was focused on a certain screen. There was someone a female who walked in the room then paced back and forth like a troubled animal, "You didn't answer my question, who the hell are you? how do you know about his brother?"

O'Brain's eyes changed into bright red right before her,"You don't recognize a fellow demon? I told you I knew Sparda and I have been with him for a time." his voice thickened in mere seconds.

Trish's eyes widened a bit, though she wasn't much surprised, from the day he came to her with the request she felt power within him." I knew there was something off about you." she commented."You do think he can be saved?"

"Yeah I do. Right now I need to watch, wait for Brad to call me."

...

Dante cracked a smile. This time, he made sure to make eye contact. For a brief moment, he could see uncertainty in his opponent's eyes.

He felt grateful for the advantage. Advancing. Advancing. The man charged at him with the hooked blade upheld and his glove like arm, going to his fore-swing and following it with a back-swing. Dante dodged the first and met the second with his over-sized blade. The weight of the thing sent Sergei's blade back, back, back…but not far enough to knock the blade free of his hand. Striking. This arcing shot sliced the fabric of Dante's shirt at the midsection. It missed the flesh behind it by perhaps a centimeter.

"Are you scared?" Dante taunted and lazily slung his sword.

"You wish." Sergei replied and pointed with his arm, he thrust foreword arm glowing with a purple color. As fist neared Dante, he easily vanished off. The energy from his arm has created a hole on the wall, his arm was buried into nothing but steel and wires. Confused for a split second, Sergei froze worried, but a sound of air above made him look up. Dante was barreling down on him, sword in hand ready to cut him in half.

Sergei staggered dodging the attack in mere seconds. He feinted with his blade, trying to anticipate where Dante would strike next. But this time he chose to show more of his power, he dashed back. He took the opportunity to project something within his arm, a shadow grow within making his arm look big, its large claw grabbed onto Dante's coat. He jumped up, then slammed him into the floor. The ground formed cracks, Dante slamming into it with have enough force for his internal organs to be squashed, had he been a human. Sergei flipped in mid air throwing away his blade, then landed safely above Dante, looking to finish him off. Dante kicked upward stunning him for a second, he took the chance to stand up.

Sergei roared angrily, Dante visibly grew more excited at his outburst. He bent over and crouched low. "Showdown!"

Sergei drew double blades from his belt and ran at him. He had speed, his arm had a good power to slam him again. He swiped with both again and again. Dante skipped back and forth, alternating between blocks and dodges. Sergei swing around and took the chance to use his arm again, with much speed he held Dante from behind and slammed him roughly onto the wall where a disgusting loud crack sound appeared.

Sergei felt seriously worn out, still his effort didn't put Dante down."What's the matter old man, you can't keep up?" Dante laughed as he stood on his feet again. Dante drew his sword and thrust at him

Sergei returned the sword strokes, slashing with his blades..fear growing within him, he cannot fail. He pushed forward in a stab, Dante's arm and blade become a blur of multiple points as he stabbed at Sergei with impossible speed. In a blink of an eye he lost hold of his blades, he felt Dante's arms hold him tightly and slammed him on the wall.

Sergei heaved a long breath."It's over, this is for Vergil you bastard." Dante spoke with venom laced voice. Though the ground started shaking, an amount of electricity sprung from the ground. Dante lost balance and let go of the man, Sergei fell on the ground with so much fear on his eyes.

"No wait, master please give me a chance." He said with so much panic in his voice.

'You have failed me, Sergei.' A dark thick voice echoed through the cylinder hall.'You know the rules."

Sergei gasped as light circled him, he placed his hands on his ears and cried out as he slowly vanished like a black smoke.

Memories played in his mind of her, beloved Eva. He remembered how she lovingly place him on bed and sing that beautiful lullaby for the both of them until they fell asleep. "Are you proud of me mother? of what I have become." he thought, words cannot describe how much he missed her, how much he needed her guidance.

"You will pay Mundus, in the honor of my mother and brother."

 **Thank you for reading. Sorry about the short chapter, the next one is long.**

 **A little preview. Nelo Angelo part 2**

 **He saw him, he had a black Armour but the face... It's true he is the black angel that killed those people.**

 **Vergil stood Emotionless,"I'm falling, deeper, deeper. I'm melting Dante." his voice was cracking.** **"Let's go together Dante, deeper, deeper into the dark." his tone changed into menace.**

 **"Wake up please, you never allow anyone to control you." Dante shouted, sword ready in his hand. Though the answer he got is Blue blades coming down at him.**

 **.**

 **"I knew you were bad news, why Jill loves you is seriously beyond me." Chris said angrily."I will kill you if something happened to her."**

 **Dante held him tightly by the collar, pulling him closer."Shut up, we're wasting time. Leave the black demon to me. you distract the others enough for me to get Jill out of that room."**


	11. Chapter 11 Nelo Angelo part 2

**Chapter 11. "Nelo Angelo part 2."**

Sirens blared in the distance as the group sprinted forward. Their gasping ran sporadically among them. The poisonous air coursed through their lungs and dried their already parched throat. Every one of the felt the blood thumping in their ears, too scared it would lead the demon right to them. They were huddled together in the corner of what it seems a wide boiler room, the sound of the machines has clouded their ears and they couldn't tell what was going on in the outside, the heat and the yellow light made think they were in an oven. A feeling of shame washed over them, if anyone ever found them like this. Just imagining the constant mental reminder was enough.

One of them brought his wrist close to his mouth and whispered. "This is Finn, please someone come in."

"I hear you Finn." Feminine voice answered.

Finn moved a bit and changed his position in an attempt to lower the sound, sensing his heart would burst out of his chest.

"Listen to me carefully, we're chased by a demon we're hiding in the boiler room in the upper level section T... I swear I'm not lying. James is KIA. Chris and Myles are MIA and we need help."

"I hear you loud, hold on for as long as you can, I can see if backup arrive. Lily out."

A loud sound of crash came in so close to where they are, several soldiers immediately had their sights trained on the entryway. Finn had his Sig 556 direct itself at left edge of the entrance, he glanced to his right to see a BSAA teammate with his rifle aim at the right edge. It's to make sure on what would enter, could be immediately countered.

 _Bunntt Bunntt Bunntt_. Footsteps echoed into the room.

The steel door drift open and the bare amount of light reflected off it.

Finn had his rifle leveled above the ground. … _Click! …_

Blue smoke of some kind emanated from outside of the entrance.

One of the soldiers… grinded his teeth on the just amount of waiting, he had his .44 Revolver directed at the entrance as well. He shot a glance at his teammate to his right. From there, he nodded in the direction of the entryway. His right hand let go of the revolver grip and signaled to everyone else that he was moving up. Two of his comrades followed for support.

Then…

 _Crack!_

The door jolted for a moment. The blue smoke entered the room and the soldiers opened fire. Finn could see in every glimpse of orange light. A male black figure took shape and looked around.

The one in the front shot upwards to the demon's groin and abdomen when out of nowhere blue blades formed a circle around him.

The black demon stepped forward. The soldier with the revolver decided to close the distance. Finn on the opposite side noticed blue lines take shape. He blinked rapidly for a moment to make sure that the blue lines weren't getting larger and by the time the Revolver user need to reload. He looked down and noticed strange blue like swords rotate around his mid-section. He looked up while he drew his combat knife and with a defiant shout, he lunged at the demon.

In that moment, the blades just pierced him. Like pins to a cushion, the Revolver user didn't make it several inches while his body weighed down on the blades. The blood, just seeped onto the blades and just disappeared for the body to _THUMP_ against the concrete ground.

Finn's eyes widened, his gun fired non-stop at the demon while it appeared to have little effect. Another member had his rifle set to single fire. His eyes had were protected by uni-goggles and just bared his teeth for several seconds while walking backward. The demon glanced at him and a blade formed over its shoulder and was launched across the room.

 _SQSSIIISH_.

The blade through the left side of the goggles.

The body… was pinned to the wall.

Finn frantically fired the last of his ammunition. Ahead of him, another soldier had a sword sent to his stomach and he dropped to the floor and rolled to his back. The blade dissipated as the soldier had his blood soaked gloves keep pressure on that wound.

 _Click! Click! CLICK!_ Finn just stared on ahead, his index finger tapping the trigger for nothing else to happen.

The demon growled as he thick sword came in and impaled the youngest one with them. A sound came out of the young man like a faded scream. As his eyes rolled back until nothing as a blade formed and launched itself into his japing mouth. The tongue of that soldier, continuously gagged on the blood before the blade rotated clockwise for the gurgling to be seared into Finn's memory.

"Hey Nelo!" Someone screamed at the door. "You want to fight someone?"

A man came in, he had a raven hair. His bangs were almost covering his eyes.

"Oh my god Brad!"

"Bradly..."

The demon turned to face Brad, dragging the young man's body along. Brad came in and his arms were thick red, his fingers were replaced with sharp claws.

The demon moved his sword downward, returning his focus back to the men. Finn took this chance to help the currently surviving members. The demon turned toward the soldiers, the sound of hurried steps followed. Finn closed his eyes.

Expecting the pain that comes with being stabbed… yet, nothing came. He glanced over his shoulder.

Brad was in front of them. His arm was blocking the sword, which appeared to be slightly wider than what a human arm is supposed to be. Brad struggled pushing himself forward. The sword was only pushed inches away.

"Get out of here." Brad shouted. "I can handle him."

"You're a demon too?!" The wounded man said.

Nelo held unto Brad with his other hand and swiftly Brad was spinning away from the humans. Once he was let go it took him a moment to recover while a blade conjured behind him. Brad rotated his right arm backward in time to diver the sword just slightly off course. His right cheek had a large gash split open. He grunted at the pain, but it was better than being dead. "What are you waiting for!?"

Finn nodded and helped his team mates.

Brad backtracked and let his hands rest upon his knees as he took two deep breaths. In through his nose out through his mouth. After wiping away the beads of sweat. The seams to his uniform started to rip and tear. Like his body expanded outward while the rest of his appearance changed into that of a bald lip-less creature. Several horns sprouted out of his back. His legs were the same shape as his arms.

The humans were near the door when more blue blades came down at them, Brad moved in speed and took the painful hits. He growled in pain. "Run! Don't look back!" His voice thickened in tone and had an animalistic growl to it. Nelo thrust forward with his sword, energy erupted to shaken Brad's balance. The sword came down at him, moments before he could raise his forearms in a cross. The blade carved through his flesh but halted at the bone structure beneath. Brad thought it was his turn but Nelo countered, he was pushed back and Nelo used his other arm and slammed him into the wall.

The indention of his body was clear.

Brad merely laughed as dust puffed out from behind him. "Stop trying to tickle me and fight like a demon!" Red energy erupted from his horns and with all of his might, he shoved Nelo away.

Brad lost his balance and dropped to one knee but shook his head then stared onward at Nelo. With a cheeky smirk Brad sprinted towards the demon, leaving a rut behind him. He leaped into the air, launching himself forward. Brad was not sure either Nelo is too slow for some reason or he does not want to fight him. Brad's left claws sliced cleanly through one cheek down to the chest, a line of blood came down the Armour. Nelo roared and swung his sword, knocking brad out of the way like a simple weak fly.

He crashed through the boiling machines. Steam erupted behind him as the burning steam wasn't enough to distract him.

"What just happened and why!?" Brad thought. Shocked with the trail of blood he caused. Once he looked up again, Nelo Angelo was gone. Brad grunted in irritation as he calmed himself down then returned to his human form and sprinted out of the room. He needed to regroup with the BSAA members.

.

.

.

Finn offered his shoulder to the wounded soldier. The blood of his stomach kept bleeding. The kid wanted to stop to treat it, but giving a chance to die upon his good will wouldn't help anyone. One more member trailed behind Finn as he paced onward with a limp.

 _Crack!_

The limp member and Finn turned to their left to see a hallway. Finn reloaded has a pistol in his free arm as the limp soldier both took aim.

"Friendly!" A familiar voice shouted out.

"Who?!" The limp soldier barked back.

From the hall, the figure became easier to see.

"Figures." The limp soldier lowered his rifle. "Where have you been Chris?"

"Lost on a detour." Chris noticed how banged up the each of them were. "Status?"

"It's FUBAR back there. Sam, Karl, Isaac and Rio are KIA. Some _thing_ attacked us." The limping soldier then walked past Chris. "We're getting Ryan some medical attention. Some leader you turned out to be…"

The three men were in the middle of the path back to where Chris was. They could hear the rapid footsteps behind the group. Out of all of them, the Limp soldier had his rifle trained down the very hall.

"Guys are you okay?" Brad called them, do they didn't answer him. Finn had his eyes fixed on the limping soldier. He shook his head while the three of them continue their way out.

Brad bared his teeth. "I'm still the same man who joined you guys."

Finn helped his men to get behind Chris, they were looking at Brad a mix of strangeness and hate.

"He is a demon too." The limping soldier said as he sat down to inspect his leg.

Chris frowned while he noticed Brad take a step forward, Chris pointed his gun at him. "Don't move... what did you do?"

Brad flinched as he frowned away from the group. He closed his eyes, then took one solid and deep breath.

"Chris I'm still the same person." He said with his arms raised. He could tell through their eyes, they're confused and not sure how to react to him.

The limping soldier shook his head at Brad. Finn looked to the ground and decided to lower Ryan down so he can treat his stomach wound. Chris did not move an inch with his pistol away from Brad.

"Guys there was always been demons and humans."

"The last time I checked. The word _Demon_ wasn't something that particularly gets along with Humans." The limping soldier tightened a bandage.

"Didn't you hear about Sparda's myth?" Brad scanned the group.

Each of them exchanged looks, before Chris's gun were lowered a bit.

"Yeah?" Finn said.

Brad continued. "The red mercenary, remember him? That _thing_ is his son."

Chris' expression went from confused to disgust. "Wait...wait wait? Dante is a demon?"

.

.

.

Dante ducked and slashed through the hunter, in his way out of that place. The lizard like creature trembled as the organs painted the wall. Dante rounded a corner, and was promptly stopped by a horrible feeling in his gut. He was thrown off guard for a brief moment and, he was dazed.

His instincts immediately went haywire.

'Why am I feeling like this?' Dante pondered as he heaved a sigh.

His eyes looked at the opened elevator, something was calling him. He went in and pressed up.

He waited inside, rubbing his chest. The feeling was overwhelming, it sent heat all over his body. "I just want this to be over." He uttered.

All he wanted to do was go back to his crappy apartment and have a nice slice of pizza…

The door opened revealing a bloody hall. Dante came closer to investigate, there he saw hunters bodies obviously slashed, littered the floor. From all the entry wounds, these geckos were done in by a blade of some sort. His eyes caught the sight of a human body. He knelt down to observe the wound he had, it still had residual body heat. The uniform gave away which group the body belonged to, the man was part of Jill's group. "Rest in peace."

Dante gazed up only to see Chris running toward him, gun ready. "Hey you, freeze!" Brad followed closely behind him, and had a worried look on his face.

"What's wrong Captain America?" Dante solicited as the handgun pointed at the center of his forehead.

Brad broke the silence. "Dante, they got your girlfriend!"

Dante's flinched at the news. "What!?"

A shot was fired.

Dante felt the burning sensation on his forehead, where it arced back like his neck was broken. He breathed in and out as he felt the blood flow down. He cracked his neck to the side and his head returned to normal position.

"Why would you do that?" He sneered back rhetorically.

Chris' mouth was half opened. "It's true, you are a demon."

Brad came in and stood between them, "She is trapped in disposable room, with demons." Dante walked past them, his left hand clenched into a fist. He did not notice that his index finger had the nail pierce his skin...

"It's always something with Mercenaries." Chris berated without remorse. "I will kill you if something happened to her."

Dante snapped back by pulling Chris' collar toward his face.

Dante pulled him closer to his face. "We're wasting time. Leave that demon to me. You distract the others enough for me to get Jill out of that room can you do that?"

Chris's eyes dropped to the ground, he grimaced. "We'll discuss this later."

Dante shoved Chris back. "I count on it."

.

.

.

Jill ran around uncontrollably as flashes of light followed her, every hit felt like burning alive. She fell on her knees, covering her head with her arms. The sound faded for a moment, she slowly gazed up with hope this is over. The place appeared to be empty now, though the wounds in her wrists where the cuffs used to be are still there.

Her heart pounded, slamming against the walls of her chest with such intensity she were sure it would break a rib. She tried to ignore it, concentrate only on putting one foot in front of the other but each time her shoes scraped the pavement she was sure it was the sound of the pursuer she had seen before. She threw a glance over her shoulder, and the shadows danced on the walls of the dimly lit room, forming creatures she dared not look in the face.

Every cell vibrated beneath her skin as she pulled her eyes in front of her. Everything sounded menacing. The sound of a siren far off the walls, perhaps something up. She swallowed a lump on her throat and continued going ahead, looking for a way out, but to her dismay the path ended with a wall and steel crates thrown everywhere. "What's going on here?"

Something went _swoosh!_ behind startled her, she drew her knife and swiftly turned around, only the meet the face of Dante's twin. But this time there was a big gash in his cheek that seems to continue down.

"Why are you doing this?" She queried under a bated breath. "This is betrayal to your brother."

Vergil smirked. "Is that what you think?" He grabbed her collar as she struggled to pull away from him. "Foolish human."

His face changed into an expression of pain, he was shaking. His arm found the wall to help him stay balanced. "I'm dying." He murmured but the words were not loud enough for her to hear.

Death... the word didn't scare him at all.

His focus went back to the terrified girl who looked like a pigeon in his arm. He brought her closer and whispered something in her ear.

"What?" was the only thing she said, in response to his words.

Without a warning he throw her behind him, she was slammed harshly on the ground where she felt every inch of her body ache. Jill moaned and pulled herself a bit, watching the creepy twin standing there... like he waited for something.

.

.

.

Backup arrived at last to their location, 7 agents to their side. "Distract them okay?" Dante briefly glanced at the agents.

"Behind you! Myles!" An Agent bellowed.

A conjured sword whiffed in their direction.

He saw them, as two men scuttled inside. Chris and nearby partner fell down and went behind the crates for protection.

More followed, slipping from doorways. Under cover of the wide place like they were waiting for a signal to attack, the pack had stalked in, unseen, converging from three directions. They tossed back and forth. They carried knives and guns. These were the type to be hired for cold kills the same as wolf pack in Raccoon city, cold as ice. They'd murder a child as they break a honey pot.

"Let's go Brad, you're coming with me." Dante said. "Can you handle it?"

"Of course."

Chris raised his gun alone over the crate and started shooting randomly, the men followed with shots of their own toward him and his group, breathing hard. "Stay down guys, we can take them." Dante pulled Ebony and Ivory and started shooting, his aim caught three of the hostiles bringing them down immediately. Brad used his arm to throw a piece of debris at another two of them, making them stuck on the spot.

"Good luck guys."

Dante and Brad sprinted down the path toward their destination, the corridor was long in their eyes, filled with side wires and red lights. A transparent elevator to the left side.

With each passing second Dante felt worry deep within, they're not even out yet and Jill is already placed in a dangerous place. True no one knows the fight he is having inside. Concern about his brother first and then go after her, or the other way around. Serious headache.

Brad took a turn to the side and kick a door open. The two found themselves in what it seemed to be a vaccine-production room.

"Are you sure it's over here?" Dante asked.

"Yes." Bard answered and took a turn behind the large, burning machine. Their shoes scuffed over shards of broken glass.

At the small corner behind there was a manhole. "This is another way to enter, I told you I have walked through this place enough to know places." He said pushing the cover off easily, like it has the weight of a pillow, he throw to the side and jumped down first.

'Hold on Jill.' Dante ruminated to himself and jumped, feeling the wind kiss his cheeks. He landed safely standing up, but Brad was in front of him watching something. "What?" He asked as he walked closer to him through the almost dark place, walking over bag that contained something felt like meat.

He saw him again, he had a black Armour but the face... It's true he is the black angel that killed those people.

Vergil stood Emotionless, "I'm falling, deeper, deeper. I'm feeling it, Dante." His voice was cracked. "Let's go together Dante, deeper, deeper into the dark." His tone changed into malice.

"Wake up please, you never allow anyone to control you." Dante shouted, the hilt of the sword ready in his hand. Though the answer he got was of conjured blue blades that came down at him.

Brad backtracked to give Dante some space. "Hurt him, in order to save him."

Vergil smirked and drew his sword. He sped forward, with the mighty dark sword aimed directly for Dante. At the last moment, Dante rolled to the side, unaffected by the torrents of blue energy that erupted from that attack. At the same time, Vergil felt something sting his face, he brought his sword in front of him for a motion to protect himself from any gun shot. Dante swung his sword forward and struck him again and again. Roaring once again in frustration, Vergil swung his sword in a horizontal arc slashing Dante's chest. To his joy he saw Dante reel back to recover from the pain. His eyes saw Jill, who was the farthest from the fight. One of the BSAA members got to her and the soldier nodded at Dante.

He focused his attention toward Vergil.

Blue blades formed above him, Dante did not disappoint him, as he put on a display of speed and weaved in between the magical swords until one by one they hit the ground.

His training paid off indeed.

Vergil waved his sword and charged at him, striking downwards, desired to see that Dante could match his speed. In a blur, Dante evaded the blade, twice. Though Vergil sent another blue blade toward him again. This time Dante's focus went to watching over the blade. Vergil slashed him again across the chest.

Dante fell on his knees breathing heavily. "You shall die now!" he shouted, then lunged his hand gripping Dante. He closed his hands around his throat, but then found himself grasping air. A move he didn't expect Dante had ducked low and to the side. He screeched, outraged. He turned, but suddenly found himself in a moment of pain strikes. Dante had positioned himself right behind him, and began to ram the sword stab after stab into his armour. The determination in his eyes never seemed to fade. Vergil felt the vibration push back a couple of feet away from him, his sword was shining with crimson color... his blood.

Among the chaos Dante heard it.

"Kill me, please." Like Vergil spoke to him through his mind.

"No, we will go home together."

Vergil groaned as he closed his eyes. Dante narrowed his eyes and noticed a small amulet on Vergil's neck. It glowed for several seconds as Vergil opened his eyes with a snarl.

A sword conjured up and this time. It was four blades and they arranged themselves in a box formation over Vergil's shoulders. Dante drew Rebellion as the first two swords came at him from opposite sides.

Dante's blade was only able to deflect on blade as the other embedded itself on his left shoulder. The next to came in and Dante couldn't react fast enough as his other shoulder had a blade in it. The last one, pierced though Dante's abdomen…

Dante coughed up blood as he did not break eye contact from Vergil.

Under the extreme amount of pain he felt. Dante's left arm reached for his holster then meagerly drew Ivory… he fired it at Vergil and it caused him to flinch from the hit. In that split second loss of concentration, Vergil's blades disappeared as Dante closed the distance to impale Vergil with Rebellion.

Vergil fell to the ground trembling like he is having a seizure. The armour has vanished for good along with the sword. Bradly hurried and knelt down for him, summoning all the healing power he had. During that moment, he tore the Amulet away from him and pocketed it.

It took an agonizing moment until Vergil finally stopped and relaxed. Dante held his bloody hand. "Welcome back smiley."

Vergil opened his eyes and stayed like that staring at the ceiling, like it was the first time in years for him to see clearly. He brought his other hand close and touched his cheek, he flinched slightly over the gash there. He brought his hand over to his face and just stared at his fingers

"I'm...free." He uttered and pushed himself to a sitting position.

He felt every wound in his body, it was real. Brad rubbed his shoulder gently. "I couldn't heal you completely, you need time to recover."

Vergil gazed at Brad for a moment, before his lips formed a tiny smile. "I'm in your debt Bradly." he said before he turned to face Dante, the smile vanished from his face.

Dante expression changed, he took the hint and let go of his hand. His focus went back to Jill who was huddled there, her face facing the wall. "I'm sorry it took me so long, hearty?" he whispered and touched her arm. Jill didn't say anything, she wrapped her arms around him and sobbed on his shoulder.

Dante tapped her back gently up and down. "I'm sorry, it won't happen again."

"What's all of this!?" She cried. "It can't be real, demons don't exist right?"

Dante shrugged, it is his own fault. She had seen something she wasn't ready for… "Relax, its over." he made up his mind, to wait for her until she is calm then talk about this. He held her waist and helped her to stand up, shocked of how scared she was. The mighty Valentine, but it's no surprise.

He saw Vergil watch him, Dante wanted to see that usual look he always have when he come close to a human, but this time there was nothing. Like he doesn't care. Once Dante walked passed him he heard a faint words. "Thank you..."

"Come on." Brad brought Vergil's arm over his shoulder and helped him up. Vergil's face says he was in a serious pain, but ignore it anyway and started putting one foot and other...walking.

"I'm not going back with him." Vergil whispered.

"What?" Brad asked."Why?"

Vergil's body stiffed for a moment, reacting on pain."Even if I had to crawl there." He whispered and pushed Brad off of him."I'm going back to the manor, alone. If you need help with something, you will find me there."

Brad sighed and placed his hands on his hips ."I knew you have guts and honor. I shouldn't expect less from Dante's sibling." he said politely and continued. "He killed humans for you, I saw their bodies and I can take you there to see for yourself."

Vergil's expression changed, hints of shock can be seen in his eyes." What did you just say!?" he spoke, staring at the red twin."You are speaking the truth Bradly?" This time he felt more at ease to walk alone without help, though he wondered why the healing is slow this time.

.

"So Jill, did you know that my place is thousand times better than before?" Dante said cheerfully.

Jill sighed next to him. "I know you're cheap, so I have a low expectation." She said in her voice an unmistakable tremor. "Now you have a kid, get ready to lose even more money..."

Isara, how much she missed that adorable pain in the butt princess. Dante noticed the tiny smile in her face, his job is done. He looked back to see Vergil and Brad following behind. Though Vergil has a strange look, a serious expression of amusement.

Dante tilted his head and smiled."Jackpot." he said with his thumb up.

 **Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this. Please leave a review of your thoughts.**

 **A little preview for the next chapter.**

 **"You have to leave alone, Brad. I'll meet you later after few minutes." Dante said.**

 **Brad didn't need to argue, after what happened, it's not safe to reunite with the humans now. Dante stood there in silence, waiting for Vergil to say something...but that was it, nothing.**

 **...**

 **"Smiley?"**

 **"Don't you ever call me that again, Dante is the only one allowed to do so."**

 **...**

 **Dante felt his heart flutter at the sight of her tiny hands reaching for him, her silver hair was a bit messy and she stared at him with teary eyes."Daddy...?"**


	12. Chapter 12 we are broken

**Chapter 12. "We Are Broken."**

For a while Jill did not stop thinking about what the creepy twin said to her before, how did he knew all of this? Why was he doing it to begin with?

Even though, after everything that happened, she wanted to listen to his words more. He is just too strange it's fascinating in a way, how he is the opposite of Dante. She did not desire to go anywhere near him anytime soon. Maybe when Dante introduce her properly or something, and then she will demand a a good reason of why he attacked earlier. They deserved that much.

Jill let go of Dante's hand, and took a moment to breath. 'Time to wake up.' She reminded herself. 'Whatever I saw was a nightmare and it's gone now.'

"How are you feeling?" Dante asked which in turn caused Jill to break away from her thoughts.

"I'm fine,". . . And speaking of fine. She saw Vergil take a turn up ahead to the left corridor, she heard the new face of the BSAA calling out to him.

"Where are you going?" Brad asked, jogging lightly.

"I'm getting back my sword." Vergil replied, his voice sounded a bit raspy. Jill gazed back at Dante and he blinked at the scene then lightly shook his head.

"What are you waiting for?" She elbowed him in his stomach. "Go after him." She never knew what happened between the twins and it's not really her business to ask about it. However, leaving stuff unspoken always ends in regret. Like she should really be the one lecturing him...really.

"But hearty..."

"I will move you if you don't get your ass over there. Besides, I need to distribute Intel with my team." She turned away from Dante before he could protest.

Dante watched the path where Vergil vanished one last time.

"Baby, you better be there when I return." He rolled his eyes then did the peace sign. His other hand went over his belt and dragged Ebony, the black colored pistol and handed it over to her.

Jill gladly accepted it and winked back at him.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open. She quickly stepped across the short distance to the next door, not even looking into the door labels. As she closed the door behind her, she heard a muffled wail of frustration. A group of zombies welcomed her in what it seems to be another room to stores subjects inside coffin-like tubes.

The same song and dance, she knew the drill.

There was three to her side, where she can see hunters behind the group as well. Their scales reflected in the dim light of the room as their outlines were simple to see. But they halted in place. Shrieking at each other and looking around the space. As if stunned… at least for now.

A corpse laid down in a corner of the room. Just from the blood on the wall, it wasn't quick. Jill kept a slow pace and made sure to remain out of grabbing distance of the other bodies. She felt a tinge of pity for the victims.

A man was hunched back in a chair with no arms and he stared at the ceiling while he most likely bled out. The guy had probably worked here, but she wouldn't wish this fate on her worst enemy.

Jill simply slipped between easily and went over to the machines.

She walked to the first door she'd tried, hoping the key she snatched earlier would work here, doubting that it would. She supposed she'd have to do a more thorough search for whatever it unlocked. She just keep looking for something else that could help with what they needed, another map, another pages filled with secrets, another hole in a floor somewhere.

It was disheartening, to say the least. If they couldn't turn anything up, this whole mission was a complete waste of resources and lives. The BSAA already has trouble enough proving its need to exist from UN funding.

Their chances with another umbrella employee—

She slipped the key into the door's lock and turned it, heard and felt the lock give. "Oh yes," she mumbled, grinning, and opened the door.

The room was U-shaped, split by metal shelves. Like most of the other rooms, it was still mostly metallic glinted walls. So it only made it easier to spot a silhouette that could have been in the room. She moved around the shelves, letting out a small sound of disgust.

Heaped in the far corner was a puddle of what seems to be fur sliced off of appeared to be the remains of the dogs that was spotted outside.

Jill leaned back as the smell of the room nearly had her gag. It was potent as it was feces and something that was clearly rotting. She need to be in the room as long as she needed to, she did not want to risk something that could be absorbed through smell. She was sure to take deep breathes by putting her right sleeve over her face and nose. She kept Ebony leveled in case of danger.

There was a small wood table between two of the cage stacks, a few papers scattered across the top. Jill walked over—she was careful with her footing—and picked up the pages on top. She scanned the documents but knew that she did not have time to read completely. Just the headings and such.

"Well, it seems the new bio weapon is incomplete." Jill whispered as she pulled out her radio.

"This is Jill, anyone come in?"

.

.

"Jill, are you okay?" Unmistakably, it was Chris.

"I'm fine. Please update, where are you now?"

"You tell me what the hell happened? Last time you spoke to me, you were terrified."

Jill paused for a moment recalling the horrible sight she saw in that closed place. "I'm... it... it was nothing. I must have been hallucinating, a side effect by something I caught in the disposable area." Jill lowered her radio to check her surroundings.

"I see. I will send to you our location right now." In mere seconds, her PDA rang.

. . .

Vergil remained silent, his lithe body resting gracefully against the cold grey colored wall. He breathed similar to someone who ran a marathon. He was deep in thought but those who knew him well, they could tell this was his way to remain calm and collect his thoughts. It slowly and surely all came back to him.

The demon emperor captured and humiliated him in every chance he can get, for he was brave enough to challenge him in a fight. He has a score to settle once again and he'll never let it go, for what was done to him. Power, he needs his power back and then find a way to the demon world as soon as possible. He shuddered slightly but otherwise remained still, almost as if he were a trembling statue.

"You are in no shape to run around." Brad spoke. Though he noticed the wound in his cheek already vanished.

"Yes I'm…" Vergil uttered. "How do you think I endured punishment for so long?"

They heard the sound of footsteps rushing toward them. "You're looking for Yamato? I think I have an Idea of where it could be." Dante said as he walked in the open. Vergil grunted at him then looked away.

Dante didn't say anything at first, he did wonder if Vergil blamed him for everything happened? still he cannot deny that he was the last strew that drove the madness.

"Maybe we could-"

"No, I don't want your help." Vergil interrupted. Familiar expression of Annoyance appeared once again. "Maybe if you listened to me, this moment won't happen."

Brad had an expression that says 'Oh no.' While he backtracked, giving some space to the brothers.

"Come on..." Dante replied. "We used to be a dynamic duo..."

Vergil rubbed his forehead and his eyes locked on his twin's. "Used to be, it takes more to rebuild what was broken. Did you hear that traitor?"

Vergil grunted at the Dante and Brad. He looked onward as he continued to use the wall to support himself. A destroyed hall revealed a metal bridge inside the building. The silence was interrupted with more sirens again. Vergil stopped midway... recalling the times he walked in this place. Up-ahead was an opened path to another clean blank corridor. However, he could not use the wall any further. Vergil just looked over the ahead.

Dante expected more anger from Vergil, perhaps call him a dumb weakling and maybe give a few personal jabs for good measure.

Maybe just maybe, Vergil softened toward him a little bit... baby steps. "Come on, let's just get this over with."

Brad and Dante glanced at each other. As each of them walked further into the facility.

"What is the matter?" Brad asked. Dante observed the place for a moment, but he couldn't smell any demons nearby so that's not the problem.

"Nothing," was the single statement he was able to say.

The trio pressed onward. Dante and Brad passed Vergil as he limped onward. Brad stopped for a moment on the basis of possibly offering his shoulder. Dante, just patted his shoulder and shook his head.

Brad turned around and walked onward.

The next corridor was a bit wider than before. This one contained a multiple door of offices to scientists. Every one of them was labeled with their names. Vergil walked passed them, until he stopped in front of a door labeled with the name of one 'Albert Wesker.'

With a sigh, he kicked the door and it flow inside slamming into a dusty looking desk. From the moment Brad and Dante stepped inside the office, their senses went haywire.

There is a strong demonic weapon here, hidden somewhere. "Is it here?" Dante asked.

Vergil knelt down over a black safe in the corner of the room. The combination lock...

 **Cameras observed them. It was too cold to the point he felt his bones were turning into ice. "I told you..." A man with black shades talked to them, the intercom of a desk phone echoed at them. "This time it's different..."**

Vergil heaved a long shudder and raised his arm, calling the weapon. In mere seconds his arms had a set of gauntlets and greaves with a somewhat animalist look. The gauntlets vaguely resemble a wolf's head, with fangs and mane. The greaves look like clawed legs. There was glowing veins that have white light flowing through them.

Vergil stared at the gauntlets with a smile, devil arms still had their purpose.

"That's one weapon." Brad kept his eyes at the door, but still had to admire the craftsmanship when he gave it a glance.

Vergil focused back on his young twin."There is something you need to know. 7 years ago Mundus sent me to track down Abigail, a powerful demon. My job was to take down the knights who help this demon and do it's bidding, before they get the chance to free Abigail from Aaron Lowell's seal. I found out about a low class demon named sid is planning to take over the power and make a name for himself as someone superior to Mundus."

Dante's expression was that of mix confusion." Why are you telling me this?" The name sid though was familiar, inside a cheep hotel where he met him." That wimp, seriously?"

Vergil sighed." Yes. Later I was sent here for Sergei to use me in whatever he wants for their protection, create artificial demons, gather more servants for Mundus so he can slowly take over, open a way for him to return to the human world."

Dante gazed deep in his brother's eyes, Vergil never lies or joke around, this have to be real. This is something he never imagined to hear, Mundus is using humans for his advantage. Then again he doesn't know what kind of power and mind Mundus have. This screams trouble, for his daughter. This was happening for 7 years, it's even harder to trust anyone from this day on.

"Thank you." Dante said.

Vergil frowned at his direction."You freed me from slavery. consider this a debt paid."

There was soon screams that echoed from the corridors. Vergil straightened his back and cracked his neck. He felt the nerves in his hands, arms and legs, get some of their feeling back. Not at one hundred percent.

Those screams started to get louder, and thud sounds one after another... 'Shoot them now.' Their struggle sounded like fireworks mixed with wailing.

Vergil's eyes turned red once again.

"Wait." Dante touched his arm...

"What make them think they can mess with a son of Sparda and get away with it!?" Vergil answered, his voice is getting thicker with anger.

"You want Yamato back right? I will deal with them, go."

Vergil walked past Dante as he look toward where the noises came from. The devil arm needed to have some of the kinks worked out.

"You have to leave alone, Brad. I will meet you later after few minutes." Dante sighed.

Brad didn't need to argue after what happened, it's not safe to reunite with the humans now. Dante stood there in silence, waiting for Vergil to say something... but that was it, nothing but a blank star.

I knew it, what I heard was hard to believe. The words were a faint of a whisper, still Dante heard it. Of course he still won't trust him much but blood is still thicker than water. A massacre was avoided, Dante knew Vergil won't have any mercy for them.

"To gain the prize of thy desire, locate the peak that speaks fire." Vergil whispered once he stepped out of the office."A peak..." he pondered, his mind going over several possible places.

 **...Thank you for reading...Remember Sparda? he will finally appear in the next chapter, stay tuned.**

 **Special thanks to my beta reader.**


	13. Chapter 13 Father

**Chapter 13. " Father... "**

The air is frozen laced her skin, delicate and cold, like winter waves on sallow sand.

The sky was washed with grey, watery light illuminating thin patches to brilliance. In some moments he watched his boots over the frozen path. The kid shivered within his coat. " Hold on child, " He whispered.

Isara held his waist and tugged on the coat to cover herself more and nuzzled her head in his stomach.

Sparda chanted a couple of strange words. The atmosphere felt heavy, with each word he said the air thickened. His clothes wrinkled under Isara's grip. Her breathing resembled someone with asthma.

Sparda reassured her by placing his left hand on her back.

Isara closed her eyes, though out of nowhere she heard the sound of a horse neigh. She opened her eyes and moved the coat slightly to peek out.

A dark blue horse stood in front of Sparda, the hair was like a blue fire... his eyes shined... In the moment her curiosity was sated, Isara pulled the coat to cover her view.

" This horse will ferry us, to your father. I named it Adonia. " Sparda rubbed her back as he spoke.

" Really!?" She said with a laugh. Isara looked up to a calm Sparda. For the old demon, he could almost see the gleam in her face. He knew that he may not know enough, but this subject definitely mattered to the young one.

She jumped out of his coat. "Let's go now!" She shouted.

Sparda did not respond in the same excitement, but he half smiled while he knelt down slightly. He secured his grip so he could seat her on Adonia, while he got on afterwards. He tightened his posture so the little one would not be at risk to fall. "Fear not, I'm here. " He whispered.

" Adonia ride away. " The horse snorted with his hove kicking the ground. With the horse's movement, it felt like the reality itself froze over.

...

Against her better judgment Jill decided to crawl through air ducts again to reunite with her team, out of desperation or because she had faith in her own abilities. It did not matter given the current situation.

Once she reached the other side she was welcomed with a horrific sight. The section which had been wrecked before was now covered in blood, burning wreckage and mutilated corpses of humans and creatures.

Of the bodies, Jill decided to check for identification. The BSAA operators had their tags claimed. Granted the thick smell of iron had her gag several times. But dog tags are still something that can be salvaged. If the same ever occurred to Jill, she would expect the same last ditch effort to just tell her family what happened.

With the knowledge of this, the local squad must have at least cleared the sector earlier since one of them took the time to collect the tags. Still though, measures for one ' s well-being must to be taken. Down the halls, there was the sound of BSAA squads in combat other biological weapons.

The constant gunfire and explosions shook her ears and a chill went down her spine. 'I hate this. ' She thought. Just of how for what the world needed and the aftermath is not comforting as some think. Jill cannot allow herself to be crippled by that feeling. It's her job, she had to be thick skinned.

Every now and then she'd hear someone's dying scream or an anger filled battle cries. It did not matter if it was Sergei's mercs, BSAA or desperate people, it was still terrifying. She ducked down near crates as the orange flashes illuminated each side vaguely.

An explosion wrecked the place even more, she felt the impact pushing her forward even more and she slammed against a machine up ahead.

She coughed slightly but a BSAA member caught up with her. "Valentine !" Jill remembered her, it was the woman in the board room. "Let's go. " She pulled Jill to her feet and the two ran out … dodging another thing coming closer.

They rounded right and went through an automatic door. " Its chaos, Sergei is missing, his men are running amok and the creatures are everywhere. We don ' t have the hardware for this kind of engagement. "

Another sound came out and Jill was pretty sure that was another strike on some group of hunters that hit nearby. She could feel the impact even though she could not see the explosion. Peering through a clearing nearby and saw a squadron of agents fire round after round at an oncoming wave of zombies and hunters. Some of hunters fell to the ground dead while others pressed forward swinging their claws and sending more humans to an early grave. Even the zombies tripped over the bodies.

Beside her the woman gazed at the path ahead of them.

" Ya ' think we should get inside a smaller room or stay out in the open ? I'd prefer a small place but it seems like everything won't stop collapsing, you ?" Her voice slightly trembled, not much fear, just simple and straight forward.

" What do you mean Sergei is missing ?" Jill asked clearly.

" I don't know what the hell is going on, but words floating around about demons. "

Jill flinched at the mention of them, recalling what she saw earlier. "No, it can't be real. "

A metal grate popped out of a wall and tumbled on the floor loudly. Jill turned around to see a hunter struggle to get out of the vent. Another hunter was as excited to leave by trying to squeeze by the other. Ahead of the women, was a zombie with a broken ankle.

Jill swerved to the left with a careful hook, she punched a hunter's face and swiftly she stabbed the other in the face. She had a death grip in place without letting go for a second, she grabbed another zombie and kicked it in the back while pulling on the sternum back to fracture the spine.

Jill moved ahead and fired with Ebony, a burst of bullets across the chaotic place and shattered glass of the windows up-ahead and thudded into faded colored walls. Another explosion accorded that sent Jill and her teammate off far away from their position

By the time Jill had regained her footing and was in place for a clear shot at her quarry, Sergei's men were already out of sight around a corner leading to another corridor. With a shouted oath, Jill broke into a flat-out run, Ebony clutched in her hand. She found three of them waiting for her in ambush around the other side, through the corridor. Flattened against the wall, the man leading them had leapt from cover and now trained his assault rifle at Jill's midsection.

" We meet again, Mrs. Sparda. " The mercenary stated with a calm expression. " I have been waiting for the moment when we are properly introduced. "

"First of all why are you calling me by that name again ? Sorry I don't take it kindly when someone want to play hosts with cuffs. " She snarled. " You're part of this and you will die. "

"I did what I had to do, " The mercenary said with a shrug. " As we all must. Now you will slowly place your weapon on the ground and kick it away from you. Proceed down this corridor. " He went on, gesturing with the muzzle of the small, deadly gun in his fist. Jill smirked, thinking how naive he was to think he got her just like that. It's the perfect moment to get more information of what they did in this place.

Stripped of Ebony and her other gun, Jill marched ahead of the mercenary and his comrades, who pressed her forward down the path at a brisk pace. They reached the end minutes later, and the man pushed aside a heavy steel door that gave access into the interior of a mountain cave. A few feet on, the mercenary pulled a small flashlight from his pocket and shone its beam around until he located a powerful battery operated torch. Turning it on, it gave enough light to illuminate the opened cavern ; Jill saw a vehicle parked near a stack of wooden shipping crates.

' This must be an exit for them to escape. ' She concluded.

" You will be ready to be taking by our lord Mundus, you should feel honored young lady. Soon the demons will be in our side and we will get the power we deserve. "

Jill hold her laugh within. "I take it, this is a confession of what you and your group were doing all along in this place. Not to mention I have a witness who could testify against you. "

"Nice bluff lady. " He said and hit her a bit roughly in the back of the head. She kept her head bowed slightly, from the numbing pain.

" You forget someone with a swept back silver hair and an arrogant, 'I'm above you ' attitude … strangely deserved with the strength he have. "

The mercenary exchanged looks with his comrades.

" Is she talking about Vergil ?" He mouthed.

" No way, he is our obedient slave, sent by Lord Mundus. "

Jill smirked and spun around with her boot high toward the speaker, striking a glancing blow on the man's gun hand. The assault rifle went off, sending a burst of rounds into the black rock face of the cavern wall. However, the weapon still remained clutched in his fingers. Jill grabbed hold of the man's wrist, but he was as strong as he was determined to retain his weapon and the thick fingers did not let go, even after she repeatedly smashed his hand against the rock wall.

She could a free moment and kicked him in the privates, making him reel down in pain. She took Ebony from his belt and turned around ready to take on the other men.

Several of them did not take the shot since their comrade was in their line of fire. She used that to her advantage by kneeling behind the mercenary she kicked. They took aim and she fired Ebony at them.

The ones in the front and back as the last of them gave up on the rescue attempt and decided to attempt to shoot through the mercenary Jill kicked. That decision did not come fast enough as she took shots at their firing arms or knee shots. The last one, she kind of regretted since it blasted his knee cap out.

The remaining mercenaries were then finished off on those who continued to retaliate while few allowed themselves to be disarmed as Jill kicked their weapons away.

In the other side of the cavern, Vergil went through every inch he could scrounge through. He was sure Yamato was there somewhere. He climbed up and entered a tunnel entrance, following a train track. He rounded and followed the right tunnel, emerging into a wide hollowed out space. He flinched at the place as memories came back to him. Various scaffolds were built along the edges of the walls to reach higher as more earth was dug away. There was a high stone in the middle of the place.

" What's wrong?" Brad asked. "The weapon is here I can sense it. "

"Nothing. " Vergil did not feel like answering, he just wants to forget it, the memory of him standing naked in front of scientists.

A certain someone eyed his body hungrily, but he did not seek sex. The thought is vomit inducing, a weak greedy little being touching him for pleasure of the attempt to weaponized genes. To replicate how half breeds tick. He will get his revenge for this unforgettable humiliation.

" I should have known Yamato will be here. "

Blue glow erupted from his arm as he closed his eyes and seems to murmur something. In mere seconds the Katana appeared from within the stone and went perfectly in his hand. Vergil stared at his beloved weapon, "I missed you. " he smirked and draw it out of its sheath. His fingers tightened around the hilt and he did a high swing opening a portal.

He gazed back. "Are you coming Bradly ?"

The raven haired demon shook his head lightly. "No, I have something I need to do here. Enjoy your freedom. "

"Farewell. " Vergil nodded and went over a blue line of energy. The portal immediately closed behind him. For it was said Yamato can open portals for an easy travel if the user wanted.

The portal closed behind him and he saw himself standing in front of the steel gate of the manor... his home. Dust and dead brown leaves scattered all over the place.

Vergil pushed the gate open and it let out a loud noise. He felt his boots crunch on the way. Though he didn't entered through the double door, as he remembered something, when he was seven years old he will stand here in the cold for a moment, Zane will burst out. "Hey kid, go back inside already. "

"No, soon enough the cold won't affect me. " He would answer him.

And there he was 20 years later. Instead of the usual smell something else caught his nose, a scent of someone he never imagined to see here again. As usual Dante will keep her alive. Why not? Even though she was another of Mundus's servants who destroyed their home. He sighed and opened the door.

" What a surprise … " Vergil mused. " Here I'm planning to find you, and low and behold you come to me. "

"I love you, my sweet child. " The memory he never forgotten, and reuniting with the blonde demon has awakened it once again.

" Those tears tells me everything... I'm sorry. "

Trish stood close to the edge of the stairs inside the manor, fully determent. "Smiley I... "

"Don't ever call me that again. " Vergil interrupted, he appeared to be holding back." You and I have a long overdue issue to settle."

Trish heaved a long shudder and went onward toward him, it's time for her to pay.

" I know how much pain I caused you and your family, I'm sorry. I'm willing to accept any kind of punishment you chose for me. " her head bowed slightly before him and she closed her eyes ready.

Vergil frowned and drew Yamato, ready to deal with her once and for all. " Feeling nerves already? Thinking you should stand still and not make it worse for yourself? I didn't even lay a finger on you yet, imagine living like this for almost a decade. "

"Don't blame Dante for this. it's my fault."

Vergil laughed quietly, a laugh devoid of any kind of feeling. " If only he was less of an impulsive many events would not have occurred. He did not even kill you for what you did, because you have our mother's face. "

...

A men with assault rifles cycled from on the place, as defensive unit became active, the slower, duller cadence of the heavy guns sounding in grim counterpoint to the staccato bolt clatter of automatic weapons ported by the raiders.

Glowing red tracer fire lashed out from the defense positions on the high ground and flares lit up the night sky as Sergei's forces launched a two-pronged attack on the agents on the roof.

While the rifle team kept the shooters chewing the fire pits above them busy, Jill joined in and signaled to the nearby agents, who raised their launchers to their shoulders and acquired targets through laser ranging. Soaring into the air to a height of some sixty feet, the rocket launchers blew apart in brilliant orange fireballs. From the center, slamming downward into the cluster of hunters and dogs moving about. As the fire team lined up lit the area up. It was consumed in a holocaust of fire and steel.

The demon lord landed on the roof top and waited, sensing the danger about, and the smell of death all over the place. " Daddy is here ?" Isara asked. "I don't feel good about this place, there is some kind of a danger smell in it. I do not know how to say it. "

"You are correct young girl. " Sparda said and opened his coat. "Hide and do not fear, no one will touch a hair from your beautiful head. "

Sparda walked casually toward the door to go inside. Once the two went down the stairs he could hear loud noises of firearms and screaming souls mixed with growling noises.

He stood near the door and waited, it was opening slowly and a shadow of a person was visible, the figure tried to stab with his left hand but Sparda caught it and twisted to the point the man screamed in pain. His grip was loosen and the knife hit the ground. Sparda held his other arm and flipped him in his back. The man did not get a chance to breathe when he forced himself to stand up.

" Answer the question, what is going on here ?" Sparda was not fazed in any capacity.

The man trembled in the ground. "Chaos, but I can make a deal that will be benefit you. Listen to what I have to say. "

Sparda smirked and rolled his eyes. "You are a dishonored human, but you are lucky your path led you to me. " Sparda's eyes turned bright red and his body felt like it was vibrating, between demon form and human form.

The man backtracked with so much fear within his eyes. "No. " He screamed and fell on his knees covering his eyes.

Sparda held into the little girl and ran, leaving the confused, scared man in the ground. He was faced with a long drop down to where they should go.

" Isara hold unto me and never let go, understood ?" He whispered.

" Yes. " The little girl warped her legs around his left leg and held unto his waist. Sparda took a breath and jumped down, the rush of air made his coat flow and reveal the little girl.

Isara never desired to look down and she closed her eyes tightly, praying this will end soon. In less than 20 seconds Sparda landed on his feet perfectly still. Isara let out a sigh of relief. Soon I will meet daddy. She repeated to herself so she can try to hold on and be brave.

Sparda went ahead and he took a breath clenched his fist, Sparda let out a scream thick enough to paralyze anyone who hear it and then he punched the wide steel door.

The door flow open and slammed to the large crate that filled the place. "Wow. I hope I can be as strong as you grandpa. " The little girl stood in awe.

" Thank you little princess. " Out of nowhere men gathered around and they started firing at Sparda with their weapons. The little girl screamed and cried as she hide within his coat again. With each shot she sensed his body tremble. But to her surprise her grandfather did not fall lifeless in the ground.

Isara sensed something moving with his skin. Sparda covered his mouth and coughed slightly. The men watched in horror unsure of what to do.

Sparda revealed the content of his hand and it had every bullet they fired at him. "You need more than that to kill me. " Sparda clenched his fingers around the bullets tightly and waved his hand up. In a strange motion all bullets returned to them.

One by one, they fell in the ground lifeless. Once silence fell upon the destroyed place, Sparda froze for he caught the scent of the person he looked for.

" Dad ?" Dante stood there. His face was that of a horrified and saddened young man.

" Dante!" He said with so much feelings in his voice. " I finally found you. " Sparda tried to come closer to his son, but Dante backtracked.

" 20 years and now you remember me, " Dante cocked his head. "You have no right to waltz back into my life like this. "

Sparda paused to listen.

" Dad, where were you when mother was killed by your former kin ? " Dante said with so much anger hidden in his voice. "Where were you when Vergil was losing his mind for power and then forced into slavery ? "

"You do not understand. " Sparda stopped him. "I had to walk away, or else you would not be alive today. I kept them far from you and your brother as much as I was able to do it. "

"No. " Dante replied immediately. "I … " He stopped when he saw a little girl walk from his coat. Isara stared deep into his eyes for a moment that felt like forever. Where everything else vanished and there is only the two of them.

" There is someone that wishes to meet you. " Sparda lightly pulled his coat back.

Isara walked in closer to him. Dante felt his heart flutter at the sight of her tiny hands reaching for him, her silver hair was a bit messy and she stared at him with teary eyes. "Daddy... ? I finally found you. "

Dante's face softened, whatever was troubling him it was forgotten after he saw her innocent eyes. She is his child. He welcomed her cold hands.

" You're … here.. ? " He whispered and took her in his arms in an embrace. The little girl cried in his chest like no tomorrow. After a moment he looked down at her once more. Still in denial this innocence is his. The face that reminded him why he preferred his humanity, not just for his mother's sake.

" You have your mother's eyes, and my face. " Dante chuckled. The little girl made a sound that was both a laugh and a cry at the same time. "Come on, let's go to her. "

He held her hand and started walking with her. "Stay back. " Dante addressed his father.

" My apologies. " He heard him say. "I will handle it here and keep the demons at bay for a while. It seems I failed again. "

Dante heaved a long shudder and led his daughter out of there. The walk was mostly silent, but he can sense his daughter's nervousness, she must have waited for him for a long time.

" Dad. " She finally spoke. "Why you did not come to me and mom ?"

"Not now. We have to reunite with your mother first, find a ride home. "

Her grip tightened on his hand. She just met him and what he said scared her. "Dad I do not want to leave you, please. "

"No sweetheart, I do not say sweetheart that often. " He laughed and rounded left to get outside and spare her the gory images of what happened in this ugly place. "The three of us will go home together, and live like a real family. "

Once he felt the cold air, he knew they are close. Dante knelt down and carried her. " Daddy what are you doing ?" She asked happily.

" Just save you from the cold. " He answered causally and sprinted toward the exit up-ahead.

...

The morning finally came in silence, the horrible battle came to an end. The agents had lost many good people but it was nothing compared to the greater loss the enemy suffered.

Jill stood outside in the chilly air, watching a group in the first helicopter leave with their heads held high. "It's finally over. " Chris walked in and stood next to her.

" Umbrella's fall it's just a matter of time. " She commented. "But... "

"Yes... " Chris replied. "He is still out there. " Referring to Albert Wesker. But he started to question everything he knows after the crazy events he witnessed inside, perhaps Wesker is not the only threat they should be afraid of.

" That red mercenary, he is the father of your child isn't he ?" He asked.

" What gave that away ? The silver hair ?" she answered causally.

"Oh Jill what kind of family you got yourself mixed with. " Chris shock his head. "Seriously he seems to be crazy and abnormal. " Leaving the part of what he did to Dante and how he didn't even feel it. It's too crazy to believe.

Jill laughed lightly, this is not the first time she heard these kind of words, and still it won't change her mind. " Love is blind right ?" She commented. " Besides, it's not like we're going to get married. He has his life and I'm used to being a single mother. "

"I didn't think you were even thinking about marriage. " Chris raised an eyebrow. Jill just frowned at him while their attention was directed somewhere else.

" Valentine. " Dante called. His voice seems to be in distance.

" Speak of the devil. " Chris rolled his eyes and turned back to see the red mercenary, but to their surprise Isara was there.

" That's my daughter...My god, how ?" Jill whispered horrified and jogged toward them.

Isara titled her head slightly and saw her mother coming. "Hey mama, daddy is here. " She shouted happily.

" Isara... " She called, once she reached them, Jill held her heart... afraid of what she might find out. The explanation of how her daughter is here. " Who brought you here ? Did someone take you by force, please tell me?"

Dante touched her cheek. "Relax fancy face, my father brought here to meet me. She just arrived. "

"Grandfather ? But... " She said and took her daughter from his arms, gently she brought her down in her feet and she knelt to her eyes level. "What about my parents ?"

Isara bit her lips at the bad memory of how she left her other grandparents. She was wrong, there is no doubt but they left her no choice. They treated her like an otherworldly being they do not like, even though she saved their lives.

" I'm sorry mama. I do not like them. " She said with obvious fear of what her mother's reaction would be. Though she felt her mother's hand cupped her cheeks. "Sweetie, I know they can be hard sometimes but they are good people. "

"Come on, let's go home now. " Dante said, earning a confused look from Jill. "My home where else ?"

Dante waved at Chris. "See you around Captain America. Nice meeting you. " He teased. Chris just gave him the middle finger in the side and looked away.

" watch it buddy, there is a kid over here. " He said and looked back at Jill."Your friend doesn't like me at all." he continued with a chuckle.

Jill looked at him, an expression that clearly says that was not surprising. "Of course you annoyed the hell out of him with your bizarre sense of humor. " She said and the family started heading to a nearby helicopter where Rebecca, another BSAA member of the group waited for them.

"You will not believe it mom, I saw a horse, I was flying and then..." Isara babbled until she jumped inside the helicopter.

 **Thank you for reading, I hop you enjoyed this.**

 **A little preview.**

 **Isara held the camera again and chuckled."Daddy stand still."**

 **"Stop it." Dante laughed and placed his hands on his hips."This is like the tenth picture.** **" The camera flashed again.**

 **"I want to keep the good memories." Isara jumped happily.**

 **..**

 **"You are lord Modeus!" Vergil shouted, surprised.**

 **"Sparda's child, it's an honor to meet you." His voice is quiet."I'm here to warn you, my brother Baul, he wants to fight Dante to death."**

 **"That is not my problem." Vergil crossed his arms.**

 **"You could be next." Modeus whispered the words, before he walked away.**


	14. Chapter 14 Home sweet home Updated

**Note: there is Extra text.**

 **Chapter 14."Home sweet home."**

The street was swaddled in a veil of poltergeist-white mist. It was eerily silent eve though it was and the reason was obvious. The deathly vapour didn't lick the street's cold floor as the wind was known to do. Its tongue less form wouldn't allow it to. Instead, it warped the houses by using its spineless tentacles to trail around everything. It drifted and ghosted, glided and dangled. Then it pounced. Once it was sure it had conjured up enough of its milky white substance, it clung to and enrobed everything it could. Nothing was spared. It snagged and snared every crag and tree without mercy.

"The city didn't change much, it's still as I remember it." Jill commented. Few people were walking around, going to the store nearby.

Isara was holding unto Dante's hand as she watched her surroundings, in her mind doing a little comparison to her home and the streets. So far she liked what she saw, but it still felt weird. Isara does not know anyone here, she was a complete stranger, and the thought terrified her.

"Yeah the changes were only done in specific areas." Dante answered and rounded right, this street led to a tailor and a pizza parlor." This is my favorite place, I always order from them."

"Don't tell me, you still did not change your habit?" Jill rolled her eyes." I wonder why you still did not become a morbidly obese." Jill felt a light punch in the her back, followed with a chuckle from him.

"Because I take care of my health just fine, easy."

Isara's hand tightened on his." I want some Ice-cream daddy, is it okay?"

"No way." Jill answered Immediately." We will order dinner and you will go to sleep," Isara frowned and was about to argue when

Dante placed his hand on her shoulder and brought her close to him."Listen to mommy darling, it is dinner time.

"Thank you." Jill replied.

The neon sign of his office appeared in their view.'Devil may cry.' The 'A' started to flicker on and off, the name appeared like.' Devil my cry.'

Dante bend over slightly to his daughter and whispered."That's home, go now." Isara grinned and let go of his hand. The little one sprinted toward the office happily. The two waited until she opened the double door and went inside.

"Why did you chose that name for your business?" Jill asked.

Dante heaved a long sigh, he touched Jill's shoulders and made her turn to face him. He stood in a moment looking at her grey eyes."I'm sorry, I should have been honest with you from the very beginning."

"What are you saying?" she asked, worried about the sudden change, the way he talked hinted of a trouble.

"Tell me, will you accept me if you knew I was not a normal human being?" Dante talked quietly." You have to answer, so we know where we are in this situation."

Jill did not exactly understood the meaning behind his words."Look, it's you who I chose long ago. I did not care much about the strange things you showed me before. I learned to be happy with you, before that I was just miss killjoy who care for nothing but work and books." she laughed softly.

Dante's cheeks dimpled, and the corners of his eyes wrinkled with that smile she liked."Well, we need to rest." he said and walked with her to his office.

Jill entered first to see the place. It was wide inside, but bland and spacious. There was only a setting area near the desk and a nice coffee table on the middle.

"I said it before you're a cheapskate." she chuckled.

"What?" he argued."Money spent on furniture means less money for food and pay backs." The two were interrupted when something flashed in front of them.

Isara laughed and lifted her thumb." Perfect picture." she shouted happily, jumping up and down. A young woman with raven hair was inside waiting for them. She had fringes covering her eyebrows.

"Welcome home Dante!?" she said causally. Her weapons creaked lightly as she moved toward them.

"Hey, I'm Jill Valentine and you are?" the young BSAA agent introduced herself immediately.

"Call me Lady." She smirked and shock her hand.

"What are you here for?" Dante said with an obviously boredom."If it's a job, no thanks. All you bring to me are dumb jobs." Jill walked passed the two giving them space to talk a bit. She went to the couch with her daughter taking pictures around

Lady crossed her arms unfazed, this is so like him."That's a fine way to talk. Did you forget I take care of your poor broke ass?"

Dante frowned and avoided looking at her. This is so like her, the little devil love to rub it in his face every time.

"Don't worry, I'm not here to collect." her face changed and softened."I heard Vergil is alive, that's why you left to Russia..."

"Yes, he is finally back." he answered her with a chuckle, that went by fast when he remembered who he was talking to.

"Congratulation." her lips curved upwards and went passed him out of the door. Dante watched her for a moment, worried. It must hurts to watch him have a family member back. Arkham painfully robbed a good life from her. Deep down he wished her all the joy of the world.

"Is she okay?" Jill asked." Friend of yours?"

"Yeah..."

Isara held the camera again and chuckled."Daddy stand still."

"Stop it." Dante laughed and placed his hands on his hips."This is like the tenth picture." The camera flashed again.

"I want to keep the good memories." Isara jumped happily.

Dante allowed the little one to play around as he sat next to her mother."Can you explain to me what happened to your brother? I think I deserved it. He did attack me and my partner. Why he did not come back with you?"

Dante heaved a long shudder." What happened to you and your partner was not something of his control, believe me. He has no reason to hurt you." He spoke in a flat voice. "Vergil and I were close, like any crazy twins. We were always together. This might be hard to believe but I used to be a shy child. " he chuckled. "He will jump in the back of anyone who tries to bother me, tackle them to the ground and scream ' Don't you ever come near him, or I'll kick you until you forget your name. ' He'll hold my hand and watch over me. " He smiled at the golden memories, still fresh in his mind.

I remember one night I had a bad dream after father left us,' sleep next to me tonight' he said. I curled under the blanket next to him and he said. ' Don't worry bro, I'll be powerful for all of us. '" his tone turned brittle at the end. " We drifted apart... I still wonder where did that happy family went. I won't stop until I find him, the one who killed my mother and robbed my brother from me. "

Jill felt the sorrow that crept within her, two souls so close and life destroyed that very easily. " Nobody will believe under all of the obnoxious jokes and cheerfulness, you carry this burden. At least you had a good sibling, I was evil to my own sister, and I still regret it to this very day."

Dante felt Jill come closer to him and touch his cheek."Do not give up on him, it's not worth it, to live without your family."

"I know fancy face. He is back and that is what really matters to me now."

...

 **Hours later.**

"sweet-dreams darling." Dante cracked his usually smug smile. He lifted the blanket to his daughter's chin.

She mimicked his smile and closed her eyes. Dante looked away with a blank expression. He just moved his holsters aside as he felt the urge to play with weapons. He stepped softly out of the room and he was mindful that Rebellion didn't knock anything over. Dante opened the door to see Jill in the hallway.

"Waiting long?" Dante exited the room.

"No, just showed up actually." Jill looked over Dante's shoulder as he gently closed the door. "How is she?"

"Asleep."

"Thank you for that by the way." Jill walked away from the door and prompted Dante to follow her. Nothing out of the ordinary since this began. "Any idea when your contact will come back? We really need the info."

"Trish likes to work at her own pace." Dante raised his arms lightly.

"So much for co-workers."

"We're all just freelance. Our special jobs don't really have strict guidelines to them." Dante smiled at Jill'x expense who's eyebrow flicked in annoyance.

"What is it? Something's on your mind." Dante looked forward at the faded wallpaper. His place was still a crap hole but it was his crap hole.

"I learned about the truth of your father. I won't say I believe it, but for now I'll pretend. Did he really decide to stand up on the behalf of humanity when the demons had the upper hand?" Jill walked to the center of the room to sit down at a couch.

"Who told you?"

"Lady."

"Figures." Dante walked to his desk. "Yeah. My old man was nothing but an enforcer. Well granted he was a soldier but he only showed up when the demons really needed him. From what I could research and my mother could tell me... Dad was super uptight. He would sleep standing up, sword in hand and even snore. The two had a fondness for rain, they met when she found him at a watering hole. He didn't have a reason to kill her, so the two just talked."

"What does that have to do with our situation?"

"Everything. Sure my parents talked while both sides really committed to the conflict. In a way, my mother gave Sparda humanity. He always hated Bullies and so that included the demons. I feel a bit of the same way."

"Humans are weak?" Jill joked.

"No. Humans are something worth saving. My mother told me how they worked together."

"I thought the books said he did all the work." Jill raised her chin slightly upward.

"Nope. She was an experienced alchemist. When they were together, she made Sparda potions to keep him in the fight. When humans were on the run, she gathered info on the demons. She took his weapons to human sympathizer from the demon's side. Sparda isn't some killing machine. I just wish the idiots who wrote the books got the story straight." Dante raised his legs and reach the bottom of his desk to pull out a soda bottle.

"I see." Dante watched her from the corner of his eyes, her expression tells him she is still not believing, but this went good. She can slowly accept her boyfriend is a half demon. "That Rebecca gave me some meds a while back. Came in hand after I took care of those Umbrella goons." he joked.

Jill chuckled.

"What?"

"I never thought you'd ever use the word 'goons.'" she pointed at him with her index finger.

Dante was the one to be annoyed this time. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't know this could happen." Dante took a swig of his drink. "You can use the spare bedroom. Lady only uses it for storage anyway..."

"Sure. See you in the morning." Jill nodded as she walked passed him.

Dante stared at the ceiling. Jill sighed as she went next to Dante. "I got to keep watch." He muttered." We don't know how many know about my daughter."

"This place is already hard to find." Jill shook her head.

"We don't know the extent." He retorted.

"Men..." Jill rolled her eyes as she grabbed Dante by his cheeks. He squirmed for a moment as Jill didn't let him tear away from her kiss. His eyes widened as his arms moved about. Frustrated, Jill had her left hand and guided his right arm to her back. Dante closed his eyes as Jill pressed onward. Eventually, Dante, under his own will wrapped his arms around her back...

 **Early hour of morning, 7:12 A.M.**

Jill flipped to the side of the bed to see him."Still up?" she brushed Dante's silver hair.

"I do not sleep much." Dante spun Ivory with his left index finger. "Half demon remember?"

"I'm well aware."

"I got a call from Vergil. he's about an hour from meeting me here." Jill's face changed at the mention of Vergil, his creepy twin she did not desire to see now.

"Roger that. How was it?" Jill leaned up, changing the subject.

"Strange." Dante replied without hesitation.

"Strange good or strange bad?"

"Strange good, it's been a while for me" Dante stopped spinning Ivory. "Without paying for it that is."

"It was nice for me, thank you for asking." Jill rolled her eyes and looked around the bedroom.

"I cleaned your handguns as well as the SMG. I have much in the same caliber of bullets, but I got what I could find."

Jill nodded. "Great. Did you check on Isara?"

"Still asleep, don't worry."

"I'm grateful for you helping me on this Dante. I mean it."

"Don't mention it. Isara our responsibility after all." Dante stood up. "I'm going to get the rest of our stuff packed. Your gear is in on top of that crate over there." he pointed at the corner of the room.

"Gotcha'"

Dante walked to the doorway. "Oh yeah." He turned around.

"Hmm?"

"Can I have my trench coat back, please?"

Jill laughed, her cheeks were turning slightly pink at the memory of what they did last night, it had been a while for her too since she went out for her needs. She folded the coat in a hurry and throw it at him.

"You better get ready for breakfast." he said and closed the door behind him.

...

Dante stared down in horror at Vergil's relaxed form on the couch. He noted somehow that he carried that air of unbreakable arrogance as he surveyed him through his intimidating eyes. " How long have you been here!?" he asked slightly annoyed.

"Relax, I just arrived." Vergil answered with that usual cold tone.

"So why are you here?" Dante asked as he took seat and placed his elbows on his desk, ready to eat the left over dinner.

"They are here." Vergil replied with a glint in his eyes."Our father apprentice."

"Baul and Modues , huh?"

The older twin left the couch and bent over his desk,"Are you familiar with them?"  
"No, I only heard about them, i did not even meet them." Dante answered casually. He never like to admit it, but it's true. This older Vergil is intimidating, this calm attitude is slowly creeping him out.

Vergil cocked his head, his gelled silver bangs shifting to the side.

"It was said Baul and Modeus, were trained by Sparda. Modeus gave up swordsmanship for his brother, Baul, and Sparda left his power and will in the hands of Modeus. Baul vowed to fnd you and take your soul in a fight to death." he pointed at him with his index finger.

"I knew you will be worried about me," Dante smirked.

"Don't flatter yourself. I want to see how do you fare with my own eyes, and I want to have my chance to see the tough opponent Baul in action." With that Vergil turned to the side slightly, his purple coat flowing gracefully, giving him a lord like aura.

"You sentimental fool, you impregnated a human." Vergil whispered, dangerously calm."I actually feel bad for that brunette."

"That was unintentional."Dante argued back."What's done is done. Like it or not, you have a niece."

Something flickered in Vergil's eyes,"I'm having a hard time believing all of this."

"Oh will." Dante shrugged, smile never left his face.

With that Vergil walked away from the desk, ready to leave. Once he reached the door, he stopped for a moment and gazed back at his brother."Tomorrow you should move back to the manor. I don't like you, but no niece of mine is going to live in a cesspool like this." Vergil paused for a moment, hiding his serious dislike to a certain brunette." That wench is not allowed to be there, understood?" The double door cracked loudly as it's closed behind him.

Once he was alone Dante shrugged and held his head between his hands, he breathed in and out in an attempt to relax."You can come out Jill, he is gone."

A second Later Jill came in."Okay seriously, I feel like I witnessed Count Dracula."

Dante burst into laughter, and pointed at her. "That was the best joke I ever heard, thanks."

"I'm not leaving my daughter." she said in a deadpan honesty.

"We will discuss this, I can convince him to allow you in."

Vergil stood outside for a second, watching the sky. Before he vanished in a second, teleport out of that place and back home

'We get some situations in life where we are forced to modify some concepts, some change naturally and some simply cease to exist. People live in pursuit of peace while my version does not function the same way...'

'Fighting is the nature of all things. If there was to be peace. Why is nature a never ending arms race? Insects that consume insects, diseases that just wish to spread and animals that wished to control all? Demons... Are the ones that can be the true leaders of nature, they did it before. They can do it again...'

'When there is just one to destroy what causes suffering...I can end suffering...'

'For me, peace always meant just the absence of problems . After all , you learn to appreciate moments without major conflicts when you had the father I had. Mainly because these moments don't last forever.'

'Despite that my concept of peace, I got myself at least where I could find this peace, seeking power.'

If they ask me why I chose this path maybe I could not explain at the time. They say we're only mature and ready to really make big decisions about our lives after we are no longer teenagers, but as we can not wait until then, we make our choices and we expect them to be the best . Even with all the questions we have when we are young , it only mattered to me the only certainty I had " I want to protect myself and surpass my father's powers. I don't want to end up dead like my mother and my caretaker. I'm the child of Sparda. His legacy flows through me.'

And that certainly was enough to chose the dark path no matter how heinous it sounded, I do not care. I chose to be a fearful demon-lord like I should be and it doesn't matter who I step on in the way. But what really hurt me beyond everything I ever experienced, was Dante sentencing me to death in that dreadful excuse of an Island. It felt like I've been stabbed in the back with a poisonous blade, if I was more open about this, Dante will be decapitated in the spot. To top it all off, he is still associated with Humans, the same who used me like a guinea pig when he should be in my side after this. I cannot forgive him for this. I work alone. Still I owe him for freeing me from the horrible Imprisonment I was in, I'm no longer forced to do errands to Mundus. When I went to his office, I saw my coat hanging there, I don't understand anymore? Maybe time will reveal more for me, but for the moment I need to get back on my feet and earn the name I have lost.'

Once he was back home, Trish made a sound, both for the agonizing pain and exhaustion. The blonde she-devil was crucified inside, far up on the front wall over the stairs, where she can be the first thing he sees once he enters the manor. Obvious shaped scars were all over her body, done by a blade. Her head was bend down and her long hair was covering her face.

"Do not worry your pretty little head Trish, it will be over." Vergil slowly pushed Yamato though her abdomen.

"You felt it..." She coughed bits of blood. "Mundus' control.."

"You are the reason Zane died, turned my brother against me then ask for my forgiveness?" Vergil frowned as he got to see a wider view of his handy work.

"You... kicked him out." She heaved the words and attempted her hardest to stay awake.

"That is not an excuse." Vergil turned away from Trish as he rounded left, heading to his room.

 **Thank you for reading, I hope you liked Vergil's view and showed a bit of his character, to close his part for the time being. Please leave a review thank you.**

 **Sorry if there is any errors.**

 **Good actiony chapters will be coming soon, stay tuned.**


	15. Chapter 15 The last promise

**Chapter 15. "The Last Promise."**

I watched her sit and have breakfast without her daughter my finger twitched when I recalled some insecurities. ' Look, it's you who I chose long ago. ' She still did not see my demonic powers or form.

Dante smiled as he took a seat and lifted his legs up to rest at the edge of the table. A section was always empty for that reason.

It's like a form of meditation whenever he returned home.

He leaned back and stared at the ceiling and smiled to himself. Perhaps she interpreted his strange attitude as just quirks, she possibly enjoyed them.

' What if Sparda had the same issue with my mother before they officially got married ? Maybe she was afraid of him at first. '

Especially it was during the time demons were known to exist. On the thought, maybe it in all the danger, his parents had the time of their lives.

Dante then frowned at the ceiling when he recalled his father. In all of these years, it is not like he never thought about his parents. Demons revealed themselves to him and even attempting to alter could be a wasted effort. But that was when he had to worry only over himself. Dante glanced to his left and brought his feet off the desk and walked into the hallway. He was slightly surprised to see the munchkin stare back at him inside the room.

Isara crossed her legs upon the bed, as he came in and took a seat in front of her.

" You do believe me daddy, right ?" Her cheeks puffed up a little in hopeful acceptance.

" Of course, I will not be surprised by anything you say. " He tapped her head.

Isara took a breath and continued her tale. " I met my grandfather in an abandoned park back home. He told me that he can smell you all over me. He was searching for you and by luck he found me. He was able to bring a horse out of nothing and we made a trip. It was sooooooo fun. "

Dante felt the veins in his head pop on the mention of the name of his father. His index finger twitched in place as Dante put his hand in his pocket. Rebellion his back felt slightly heavier, but he knew it was a trick of the mind. Of course though, he made sure to react to everything that Isara told him.

He just wanted to hear why Sparda failed his mother, no matter the answer, it could come out as an excuse. He cannot accept the truth, why is he still alive ?

"Tell me Daddy, can you do strange things too ?" She asked. " Can you show me ?"

Dante smiled at his little girl and how seriously happy and accepted of weird events she was, Isara does have a demonic blood in her it must play part in this.

" Who taught you the word strange ?" Dante playfully asked.

" I don't know what it means. Grandpa and grandma always say when we see them. " Isara smiled from blind confusion.

" It means you're special. "

"Then you're strange daddy. " Isara rebounded the false logic at Dante. In defeat Dante looked away in amusement and he did not want to burst out laughing that could Alert Jill.

" I can do this, " he whispered and his eyes glowed red at her. Isara watched as slowly his face was changing to a face of a creature, but he reversed back to normal form in seconds.

Isara pulled her hands closer to her face and laughed. " That is so strange. " She commented happily and jumped forward close to him. " Can I change myself too, can I ? Can I ?"

Dante placed his finger on her lips. " Be quiet. I don't want your mother to hear us. " The little girl just nodded and returned to her spot.

" I'm not sure if you can, you're still too young. " He continued.

Isara's expression changed slightly, " But Dad, why I can't tell mommy, she already know fire can't hurt me and I don't get sick. I don't like hiding. "

Dante gently held her head between his hands. " Sweetheart, I'm not telling you to hide who you are from her. It's just your mother needs to know about this slowly so she won't be scared. Humans don't like different things. For now don't worry about it, but you'll become a strong she-devil someday. "

Isara's shoulder dropped in defeat. " Okay daddy. " She whispered and laid down, ready for bed.

" Sweet-dreams darling, have a little nap. " Dante cracked his usually smug smile. He lifted the blanket to his daughter's chin. She mimicked his smile and closed her eyes.

He remained there for several minutes and carefully got up then left the room.

Jill sat on the couch, a cup of tea in her hand. She wore a simple blue shirt and a grey pants. Her brown hair was loose and was damp from a shower she took earlier.

Isara's cure was a reunion with her father, the little girl now is a thousand times happier than ever she was before. She breathed and closed her eyes. Indeed, she was wondering herself what kind of family she was mixed with ? Sure she told him for now she pretended to believe but... after everything she heard and saw from his twin...

Her eyes trailed up and watched Dante resting on his desk. ' No, it can't be real. Maybe the two of them are lab children, that's why they can do all these things I saw. Sparda is just a myth to tell children before bed and nothing more. ' Jill sipped her tea.

" What's in your mind ?" Dante interrupted her covert thoughts. " I can hear your nervous breathing. "

Her eyes dropped to the ground. " It's nothing, don't worry. "

Dante leaned in and bent his legs to be at eye level. " Talk to me, we can get through this together for our daughter. "

Jill took a deep breath and left the couch. For the sake of the little one won't hear them and be worried. It is their issue alone. She knelt down over the desk in front of him. " It's just I'm not sure about us anymore, what I mean is you are now like a giant question mark, and those things that attacked us in Russia. They appeared the same time you popped back into my life. "

Dante reached out and touched her hand. " Well I did want to avoid this back when we met. "

Jill sternly stared at Dante. She did not like the joke. It was time to change tactics.

" I would have been honest with you from the very beginning and we won't be in this situation now. Sit please. "

Jill rubbed her forehead for a moment before she took a seat on the wooden chair, for an odd reason she refused to look at him in the eyes.

" When my mother was killed, I hated the world and myself. How can I be close to the same creatures that killed her ? Demons were cruel and so was humanity to an extent. However humans have something demons cannot have. All I had was my brother but eventually we split up as you know. He doesn't like of how there were humans that sold us out while Demons finished the job. I know there has to be more to what happened. "

"And that explains nothing of the moment. " Jill crossed her arms.

" When you and I got together, I lied to myself that I could forget about my cursed heritage for good. That I can be human. But it's not something I can run away from. They always find me. As much as I would help Isara and you get away, something worse could come our way. "

Dante watched her reaction in silence, he did not expect her to answer at the moment but he hoped his words will calm her down a little bit. Jill blankly sat in the chair. ' I'm not sure what to do anymore. '

"Valentine, from now on no more secrets okay ?" Again he got no response from her.

Dante left his chair and rounded to her side, he knelt slightly and played with her hair before he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and he left for the front door, " I will take a walk for a while, I will be back. "

Once the door closed behind him, he stayed there for a moment to listen. Sound from the other side, heavy breathing that was like gasping, and there it was the sound he was afraid to hear. She was sobbing quietly.

After a few minutes, of the little sound there was. Isara was restless of what was happening of late. When she curiously peeked out of a corner to see her distraught mother. She walked over and lightly pressed her hands on Jill's knees.

Isara wanted to say something but she never saw her like this... it was shocking sight.

Jill simply wrapped her arms around her and pulled her up to her warmth. " I love you baby. " She whispered in her ear. " You are my world. "

Dante brought his hand down and can only speculate on how a human could feel about this. To learn that there is species out there that are relentless.

It seems to Dante, their relationship will never be the same after everything happened. If they cannot work through this.

" No. " he pushed the negative feelings away, this is just the start. Of course she will have this kind of reaction but she will come around. He wondered how she will react at the news that the two of them are technically married.

Years ago people never believed in the existence of the walking dead and it became true. There has been rumors in the newspapers that the UN wants to create a task force for such threats, despite how much some deem it to be ridiculous. He could see it in the headlines at a dollar store he frequents.

Dante conjured up a plan to help Jill accept the existing of demons and hopefully it will work. He stared at the light blue hue outside.

At last he went down the step and walked through the foggy-silent street, for his usual rounds every morning. Normal people jogged at this hour but his healthy routine is walk around several ties and maybe catch a few demons for a thrill. Before the streets got busy.

He rounded left, no sound can be heard other than his shoes clicking on the concrete ground. In the midst of his walk a green figure reveled itself.

He smirked and touched one of his guns, ready. However the green demon fell over bleeding from its back, dead.

" Oh well. " He whispered and looked up-ahead to continue his walk.

The moment he turned at a corner, a woosh sound stopped him, something flickered in the dark alley. The shine flickered by as two blades charged-pushing on his throat. Dante was slammed harshly on the wall in the other side. The blade pierced through to the wall behind and pinned him.

" So you are the son of Sparda. " A man with swept back silver hair and pointed ears spoke in a calm demeanor.

" I forgot my dance card at home. " Dante answered casually. The man pushed his blade over his throat even more. Under the grip, Dante could taste iron in the back of his throat, he smirked and stared back. " But I can make an expectation, what if I'm milk man ?"

"The answer is obvious, I will take your soul. " The stranger's eyes shined in anger.

Dante smirked and squinted at him slightly. " So you're Lord Baul. " The man however did not answer, he prepared to charge at him but the moment was cut short when bazooka shot pushed the demon away. As the blades ripped out of Dante as he lightly rubbed the wounds, then glanced to his right.

Dante observed the other side, waiting for the demon to show itself again though there was nothing but the sound of footsteps walk away.

" Hey you wanna help me, how about you hold it down ?" He addressed Lady who stood a foot away behind him.

" Help you ? Don't get the wrong idea pal I just targeted a demon. " Lady spoke and played with her hair proudly. " A white demon. "

"Hands off Lady. That demon is mine. " Dante sighed then tugged at the blade and after several tugs, he was able to yank it out and casually discard it to the ground. Lady smirked and pushed him off of her way. " Been tailing this one for a while now. " The demon grunted at the duo and faded from view, Lady waved goodbye and vanished through the fog.

" If you don't get him, let me know. " Dante lightly called out.

Dante crossed his arms and pondered over the situation. " I wonder if I should tell Vergil about this ? Looks like there'll be a party sooner than he thought. " He couldn't help it but to smile at the thought, it's still feel weird.

At least Vergil is alive.

...

Hours went by until it was noon time.

Jill laid down in bed, in their bedroom. She can hear Isara playing outside. She felt herself coming down with a fever, the same symptoms she went through from depression after birth. But this time she was not depressed. Perhaps stress is getting the best of her. Perhaps if she stayed as a single lonely mother would have been much better to deal with than this.

She placed her arm over her forehead and stared at the ceiling. Until her cellphone rung. Jill rolled her eyes and took her phone of the nightstand and she answered without even looking at the caller ID.

" Hello ?"

"Hey sleeping beauty ?" Chris ' voice was clear in the other line.

" Hey Chris ?" She chuckled.

" Sorry to bother at this hour, but we all need to write a report today about the event that occurred inside the facility and about the possible location of Sergei. " He said in a serious tone.

" Do I have to give it today ?" She already knew the answer from how much work loves paperwork.

" Yeah sadly, we can't rest yet, good luck to you. Have a nice day. "

"Thanks Chris, you too. " She ended the call.

Jill sighed in annoyance, got the willpower to get out of bed and back to the office. She searched through her bag for a notebook, a bag she carried with her from Russia and did not really use it for anything.

Within the junk she pulled a grey notebook with a pen inside it. She always hated this part of her job, writing in paper is no way her cup of tea. Field work is more of her speed.

She placed the book on the desk and took his seat. She pulled the pen and opened the first page, ready. " Alright... " She whispered and started writing everything from memory.

Isara remained on the couch playing and thinking loudly to herself. " I'm the princess who can show strength... I can jump. " She did a little jump from the couch to the ground.

The front door opened revealing Dante with a little blonde girl. " I'm back. " He stopped for a moment when he saw Jill at the desk. " Look at you, that's cute. "

"Shut up. " She sighed. " I have a report I must finish. "

However her mouth formed an aww when she saw the girl with him. "Who are you cutie ?" she asked.

The blonde girl went over to the side and she had an adorable bright smile. " Hello, my name is Patty, I'm Dante's good friend. " she bowed slightly and then turned to the silver haired girl.

Isara was confused at first but she accepted her hand and replied. " My name is Isara, nice to meet you. " Patty let go of her hand and immediately touched her cheeks.

" Dante, how come you have an adorable daughter ?" Patty teased and stuck her tongue out at him, though she noticed the silver haired girl had a worried expression. Her eyebrows were slightly raised and she didn't know what to do with her hands.

She grinned at her and held her hand. " You wanna play with me ? Come on. "

Isara responded with laugh and ran along with her to the front door, the two girl stayed there to have fun in the chilly day.

Dante chuckled and took a seat on the side upon the desk.

He just watched Jill while she wrote down the words, it was so like what he speculated about her, to bury herself in her work. It only makes Jill easier to read her body language.

" How are you holding up ?" He broke the silence.

" Quite well I gotta say. " She turned to the second page.

He moved slightly closer and stopped her working hand. " You cannot run away from this, ask me, I learned it the hard way. "

"I understand your point. " She replied. " But you also must understand it's really hard for me to take all of this at once. Just bear with me. "

Dante leaned forward to her. " That is what I'm trying to do, I want to help you return to that determined Valentine I knew that day. "

"I'm still here, it's just I need to breathe. I'm not some ice queen you know. " She said and returned back to her writing.

" You could have fooled me. " Dante shot back.

Jill clenched at her pen. " You asshole. "

Dante stood up and stretched his arms. " Tonight I can watch the place but I have business to attend to so I could return late. "

Jill just waved Dante off as she focused on her report. Her phone rang again and she answered without looking at the ID. "Valentine speaking ?"

"He there Miss Valentine. Don't forget to log-in to the website for the BSAA, so you can get news of a future meetings. "

"Understood. "

.

.

.

Vergil did the usual as he checked books of ancient rituals inside his chamber, a little task to do before he can challenge him again. The best way to test himself is against a powerful enemy. The blonde she-devil moaned ever so often and it was like a music to his ears.

He bit his lip in enthusiasm for he couldn't wait for that moment to arrive. To prove it to Dante that blind trust is not how the world works.

He opened the next book and traced his index finger of the text. At one point, the old paper it felt like electricity was rushing from his finger tips to his whole body. His vision blurred for a second and he heard muffed of voices of people struggling. A rupture of moonstone-yellow light appeared in the carnal-black sky. Balefire-red blood splattered all over the ground, Vergil watched as the scene unfolded before him, between the smoke and over the crumble of buildings he saw a red trench coat figure bent over a body of a brunette woman, he was sobbing uncontrollably and power irradiating from him. He felt another shock hit him in the back of the head and once he realized it, he was on the ground with a book in his hand.

" What was that ?" Vergil breathed heavily with a bead of sweat from his forehead and how it felt like his energy were drained in mere seconds. " Did not know that visions could kick like a mule … " Vergil's eyes trailed down back to the page he was holding.

' All the known history of the Demon Emperor Mundus. '

For now he throw the book in the side and went over a chest in the corner of the chamber. He opened the chest to reveal a massive sword inside, a weapon he chose for himself to avoid using Yamato everywhere. He took the sword out and vanished.

It was time for battle. It was already raining outside. Thin, dingy rain spat and drizzled past the orange street lamps. He went over to his destination, he can sense something in the nearby park.

" Finally. " Vergil whispered and sprinted onward to an empty park.

Two figures stood in front of each other in the harsh rain. " I came old man, let's settle this once and for all before I catch a cold. " He snarled. Baul however was just standing there watching him very closely like he wanted to read his mind.

" What's wrong are you scared ? Or maybe you cannot do anything without your little brother ?" Dante taunted.

Baul raised his arm to the side slightly and a sword sprung from the ground and with an incredible speed he charged at him, Dante in a blink of an eye draw his sword and the two collided, sending sparks in the dimly lit park. " It makes me happy, I always wanted to know what swordsmen trained by my father will be like. " Dante grunted as he held his ground against Baul's sword.

Baul used his other hand to summon his other sword, and he slammed it over Rebellion pushing Dante off of him. Dante kept his balance and prepared for next attack, before him stood up Lord Baul with both of his swords ready.

With a scream he charged again then swung both of his swords at Dante's head. Dante ducked and the weapon sailed past him, he took the chance and hit Baul on the shoulder.

Dante lunged forward, bringing Rebellion around to streak off Baul's head. He responded with a quick thrust of his swords, stopping him again and he put all of his might on this and dived forward at Dante with a flurry of strikes. Dante quickly sidestepped, then back stepped and brought his sword down only for them to clash again with their swords rubbing against each other. Baul moved to the side slightly and hit him again, making him lose focus for a second and he charged with his other sword hitting Dante over the head and red blood spurted from Dante's forehead to the ground.

Still the smile never left his face, Dante moved forward, struck again and again until the two stopped for a moment to take their breath. Baul noticed his armour cracked and broke slowly. " A bit rusty there, eh buddy ? Your form is too rigid. " Dante taunted and raised his sword again, he dived forward for a piercing stinger, hitting the demon center mass. Baul made a sound like he was choking as his chest bled onto Rebellion, he fell on his knees and used one of his swords to help him remain on his knees.

" What's wrong ? Done already. " Dante commented.

" I must not... " Baul grunted and looked up at Dante. " Lose here in this place, for the sake of Modues. " With a heavy movement he was able to stand up again.

" You got moxie Jay. " Dante clicked his tongue as Baul grimaced as he returned to his feet.

" Why must you make such deadly encounters so trivial !?" Baul twisted the hilt of his sword and energy floated within his arms.

Baul tilted his head from there, the demon's wounds stopped leaking blood. And from there, he looked at Dante in the eyes angry.

Baul shook his head as he charged at Dante once again. From there Dante tilted his upper torso to his left as the bladed tip of the weapon gave him a kiss in the wind from the dodge. Dante responded by using the blunt end side of the weapon to force Baul to sidestep with his back to a wall.

From the momentum, Baul swung his sword upward as used the bottom part of his boot kick the fingers of Baul. Several cracking noises occurred and Baul dropped his weapon.

" Not a chance. " Dante implanted Rebellion through Baul's sternum as he writhed in pain. Dante took out the sword and dived it through Baul's forehead.

" I guess Lady owes me now. " Dante shrugged as he walked away from the impaled body. As much as he hate to admit it, the fight took alot out of him.

" I must say I'm impressed Dante. " Vergil reveled himself and came over to Baul's body.

" Thanks, " Dante smirked. The two heard the sound of footsteps behind them coming closer, the raven haired demon appeared and he had a horrified expression.

" Brother. " he called out in a low tone.

Dante did not look at his brother or what was about to come as he focused entirely on his personal objective. Vergil only got to see Dante's back.

Vergil crossed his arms and he had blank expression over the sight before him. Modues ' face was bend down and his hair was stained by his brother's blood. " My brother never associated himself with neither worlds as he devotedly waited for Sparda's return. Yes dueling Sparda, the best swordsman in the demon world was his only reason for living. " He lifted his head slightly to look at the twins. " I abandoned my sword, it begin to disgust me, it created nothing, it did even rob my brother his reason to live. " With that he stood and summoned his sword.

" Since I took your reason to live, now your only reason to keep living is to take revenge against me. " Dante replied and looked back at him at last. " You guys cannot be anymore old fashioned. "

Vergil once again felt his mind going haywire. " Hold it. " Vergil came in between the two. " If you want Dante you have to go through me first. "

"So be it. " Modues answered and prepared.

Vergil lightly shrugged as he walked into the open, he drew his Muramasa blade from its sheath as Modues ' clothes shifted slightly outward. Demon transformative clothes, so it did not hurt to have armor for himself.

Without a word, Vergil did not want to hear another Demon make a speech about meeting him. Seriously, after all this time. If Demons could just shut up after they introduced themselves.

Modues kept his blade close and centered to him. With his left hand he held onto the upper half of his broadsword. Vergil slashed forward while Modues responded with a parry attempted to use his right elbow to get Vergil to back off.

From there, Vergil teleported as he stepped back. Modues kept his guard up as Vergil appeared to his left in a crouched position then charged at Modues. Slashes of light appeared behind Vergil.

Modues reversed the grip of his blade so the bladed end was in his right hand as well. Then as Vergil approached, Modues brought his sword down which forced Vergil to turn off course. The hilt of the broadsword stuck the ground to make a small hole. Modues. He pulled it out as Vergil appeared behind him, but out of reflex, Modues swung his sword in a horizontal back motion.

Vergil raised Muramasa to which the broadsword at the hilt collided with each other. Modues turned around with a violent sneer as he brought his hand up to increase the amount of force on his sword.

Vergil rolled his eyes as he lowered his blade to force Modues to move his hand away from his blade. From there, Vergil slid the blade down then as Modues went for a thrust and got the edge of Vergil ' s hip.

Vergil slashed from the shoulder into the center of Modues. He did not have any strength to counter. So Vergil leaned in, twisted the Muramasa and then had it slash toward his right hip. Modues fell as two pieces to the ground. The metal clacked on the ground and Modues just bled out.

Once the battle was over, Vergil stood over the bodies of the dead brothers. ' Love for a sibling ?' he whispered. The moment did not made him feel satisfied for his battle with the tough opponent Modues, it did however bother him, all the talk about how his sword did nothing but chaos only to return for the sake of his brother.

..Dante went all the way to Russia for him and he succeeded and set him free. The thought however was pushed as fast as it appeared. ' No he betrayed me, '

He looked at the two brothers one last time. "Rest in peace. "

Once he was ready to leave, he saw Dante watching him with a smile. Vergil simply frowned at his direction and walked away, vanishing in the darkness. Though he stopped midway again, remembering the vision. He cannot deny it The vision was not very clear, but it tells of a great attack, an attack that will destroy buildings...paint the ground red.

He gritted his teeth and started heading back to Dante's direction.

.

.

 **Thank you for reading I hope you liked this.**

 **Special thanks to my beta reader. Note: chapters earlier I did add that Vergil can see the future, when he was young he predicted Dante is going to leave him. But now he is older and wiser. It is something I added for him and I'll expand on it later when I'm close to the end.**


	16. Chapter 16 Shadows

**It's been awhile, it's good to be back.**

 **Chapter 16. "Shadows."**

Vergil went through the silent street. Droplets of water rolled off his shoulders while he paced onward. He flinched when something in the air changed, a thick musk was in the air. Too similar to Demons and the hunter stopped in to look to his left and right.

"Nelo Angelo himself, I did not expect to meet you here." A voice mused from the shadows.

"I do not relish this _delightful_ reunion either Sid." Vergil leaned on one leg as his index and middle fingers twitched at the hilt of his blade.

"Do not underestimate me seed of Sparda. However I think you will be perfect in stage-theater since you're a magnet of tragedy."

Vergil arched his brow slightly. "Tragedy should be utilized as a source of strength… A weakling like you could never understand." He gripped the blade during the retort.

Sid laughed quietly. "You and I are the same, aren't we Vergil?"

"I suggest you remove yourself." Vergil's index finger tapped the hilt over and over.

"I suggest you change your tone with me you human slave. Mundus humiliated you and I'm surprised you can show your face." Sid menacingly replied."I have a proposition, help me realese Abigail and you will get your honor back."

The half breed's frown deepened at first, at the mention of the honor he had lost. Demons may be brutish in certain methods of thinking, but power is still the common thread that all respect no matter what. Or at least the fear that comes in association of the power. Vergil's left eyebrow twitched so that he could slice Sid in half the moment he would be crass enough to show himself.

However Sid walked away from the area of the crass half breed. The play was made and now it was time for both sides to plan out what the cards they've been dealt.

Vergil felt a sore taste in his mouth, but he knew better than to lose control and cause a scene with someone so unworthy.

'Why bother.' Vergil moved his hand away from his blade as he straightened his posture then walked away with a single dim blue glow. The outline of his frame grew smaller over time.

...

Dante's boots echoed obnoxiously within his shop once the light of dawn spout out into the sky line. He opened the door and water dripped from his clothes then left a trail from the doorway to the couch.

He took off his coat and throw it across the room and fell short to the back of a chair. He laid down and placed his arm over his eyes… Just something to reduce the amount of light.

However the image did not vanish from his mind. He did wonder why Baul and Modeus were not aware about his old man? How he is actually alive and in hiding?

With that he made up his mind, once he feels ready he will look for Sparda and put the issue to rest for good. That would be the plan anyways.

"Is that you Dante?" Jill's voice entered the empty office. He lifted his forearm up to get a glimpse to see her rub the crust out of the corner of her eyes while she fanned her mouth from a yawn.

"Did I wake you?" He put his forearm over his eyes again.

"No," she stretched her arms, sensing her body ache in several places. "It's seems I have insomnia now. I slept for like 2 hours."

Dante smirked as he pulled himself into an upright position. "Well then, join the party. This couch knows everything."

Jill rolled her eyes and just took a seat in the left to him. "Well I finished my report and sent it to my boss. It seems the BSAA gained some headway after what happened in Russia."

"That's a good news right?" Anxious, he leaned forward to have his elbows support the rest of his upper weight. Jill tilted her head at the sight of how restless he was.

"This could be what gives us expands in our funding and better talent to recruit." She said with half a smile. "The name will hold weight."

He chuckled, "Well then, we are the mercenary and the Bio-terror Operative. I gotta say it has a nice ring to it." He leaned back onto the cushion. "Granted only for a comic book or something. It's too wordy for a movie."

"Have you ever wondered that you say too much at times?" Jill sat down and crossed her legs.

"What? I use humor to mask my insecurities."

"My dad would think that would have been funny."

"What's up with them, your parents?"

"Well, they hate your guts that's for sure. The one who left me pregnant… yeah." she crossed her arms. "Still they mean well. I try my best to understand and have a good relationship with them."

Dante clicked with his fingers. "Allow me to spend 5 minutes with them and they will be happy and celebrate your job just fine." he laughed at the last words.

"You are unbelievable." she laughed."I must say I picked up a nice light hobby thanks to my baby," she placed the nib of her index finger on her chin. "In my free time, I started drawing. Simple stuff with a pencil. Turns out I loved the feeling of capturing a scene and put emotions in it."

Dante played with his hair slightly, removing the bangs from his eyes. "So this to you, in a way is like photography. You desire to capture the memory of a moment you loved."

"Affirmative." she smiled. "But I don't have much time for it anyway."

A wide goofy grin broke across his face. "How about you drew me next? A portrait to keep forever."

Jill however did not answer immediately, she stared at him in silence. "Is everything okay?" she asked, ignoring the subject.

Dante smiled and shook his head slightly." Darling, are you trying to get me to bed again? Because I'm not in the mood this morning." he chuckled.

Jill shrugged and remained calm." I know you, whenever the subject is uncomfortable you avoid it with a joke." Her expression changed into sorrow. "Don't you trust me enough to share?" she continued.

The smile vanished from his wet face. He breathed and laid down again. "You cannot understand, believe me." he whispered.

"Then Help me understand." she replied." We are partners aren't we?"

Dante pondered over it for a moment. It's true he did not like talking about heavy subjects bothering him, no one even bothered to ask him if he is okay. It's the image he build for himself, always jokester , always doing whatever he wanted...and he just got used to it.

"Let it go, you can do it." She spoke gently. "I want you to tell me about you."

"I can't." he whispered, barely audible to her. "Remember what happened when I told you before?"

Jill sighed sadly and rubbed her temples. So much has changed. Vergil's words are true after all. "Your brother said something to me when we met." Her words got his attention and he looked at her, waiting.

"Your boyfriend will push you away, and leave you to die. Save yourself."

Dante laughed and stared at the ceiling, "He said that huh?" he said without a hint of surprise. "Mark my words, nothing will happen to you or our child as long as I live. How is she doing?"

Jill shrugged and looked down at the floor. Once again he is changing the subject, what to do next is a total mystery? Sure she is still did not exactly come with the terms of...Demons, that subject still feels like a dream. But this is not the issue here. It feels like he is so emotionally detached it's troubling, was it a strike of luck when he opened up to her a bit before?

She cannot communicate with him, Unlike the past when he was much easy going and made her very happy and see the world better. The best time ever that will never return.

"She had fun with Patty until nightfall, the two seems to hit it off it's so cute. My baby is finally happy." she replied.

"I'm glad to hear." He answered casually. "That little runt is actually a sweetheart sometimes."

Silence filled the place for a moment. "You want to hear a little tale that might interest you?" He asked. Jill rested her back against the couch. "Go on."

"Demons have a belief and order system, they are class based on that like you know how humans works...in a way. Mundus is the ruler who can control many lower demons. The others know their place from the strongest to the weakest. There is occasional demons who wants to rise and build a name for themselves and be in a higher statues." he paused to take his breath." You know the Gargoyles? They are real demons who thought humanity is worth protecting, and I heard they helped my old man in his war."

There was a funny look in Jill's face, it was more like a cartoony expression. "So...gargoyles huh? Society and classes?" she wondered.

Dante smirked at her cute reaction. "I bit you never imagined that right? Demons, well to me at least is like dealing with certain horrible human beings and their different classes and motives."

"Yeah..." she shrugged. Dante watched her at the corner of his eyes, it seems she is relaxing a bit with the thought, his plan is working smoothly.

"Okay then how tough are they?" she asked.

"Will you need training, so you can gain agility and get used to the nature of the demonic attacks." He spoke casually.

"Bring it on honey, I can take any tough training you throw my way." she said with her thumb up.

Dante pulled himself to a sitting position again and looked at her, flashes of the past playing in his mind. "Are you sure about that?" he asked.

"I will do anything to protect my baby. You will not carry this responsibility alone." she said without a hint of hesitation.

"There she is the Valentine I knew." he said with a grin.

"Okay." she swallowed a lump in her throat."I think I..will go back inside and try to sleep."

"Sweet-dreams."

...

3 hours later..

Dante turned in the middle of the hallway and pushed a misaligned door open. He reached to the wall and flicked the light on. It was a former garage space that had a wall built in so it was more of a wide and spacious room. In the corner of the place was several cushioned mats that could be put down for in he needed to do some physical training...in the past to recover from damage that was done to him.

The main light of the room flickered for the first five seconds as he paced past a full body mirror. In the corner of the room was a plastic crate with small boom box. It had a wire stick out of it and could be connected to a MP3 player headphone jack. Not the best gym but one that made that functioned for the cheap Demon hunter.

He rolled his shoulders then removed a vest then his weapons and holsters on a coat hanger. He just put them on, all dangled off and prepped. He pulled on a mat then threw it into the middle of the room. They whapped every time as he looked at the door to see Jill.

She as in a tight athletic tank top with regular combat pants. The strange thing about the pants is that they had elastic straps and plastic belts to click them on. It almost looked like a fighter pilot pants. Dante scoffed lightly as Jill pulled her hair back into a knot. She slightly cocked her head at him, as she spotted him sneak glances at her mid rift. The way her skin shined off the light and Dante almost allowed himself to click his tongue. There was no way he would have figured her as a mother from how seriously she took her health. Of course she was not toned completely in muscle, but she was still athletic and balanced to a feminine pinnacle.

He loved workout clothes.

She got on one knee then put the mats in parallel to each other. Dante removed a bit of his out layers of clothing so he could have some better movement as well. He took out some clear duck-tape so the mats would not roll about when people practiced on them. While he had his back turned to Jill, she looked up to see him in his long sleeve shirt. It stretched forward and outlined his tight back muscles, the way his shoulders rippled and with his broad shoulders had Jill smirk menacingly at him. She was drawn to how he considered fitness a top priority but not transform himself into a complete meat head. Just lean and mean.

A major part of her wanted to run her fingers along his back, very very…. _very_ slowly...

"So what did you have in mind." Jill said as Dante used his teeth to split the tape apart. He lightly pulled it off on the tip of his index finger and did not look back at her.

"Demons are general about three times stronger than humans. I just want to see what you're capable of." Dante put the tape on the map so it would not split apart, then looked over his shoulder. "We'll go from there."

Jill put her right hand on her hip. "Sounds good to me."

"So what you got?" Dante used both hands for her to attack him.

Jill jogged forward and when he centered himself then made himself nimble. She used her speed to build momentum then she lifted her right leg up and swept the air in front of her in a horizontal motion. From there Dante leaned back then gripped her shin and pulled her close. From there she frantically kicked and he held Jill upside down.

Seeing the chance to get him before he got smug, she leaned up and gave a right hook as he did not expect her to counter so soon. He let her go and Jill made sure to land her hip, she looked at Dante's legs then tried to position her legs to he could trip backward. He stepped forward and she rolled back to her feet.

Dante approached her and gave several straight punches and hooks but Jill had her forearms at the ready, blocked then counters. Yet Dante did the same against her. Given of how she must use his weight against himself, she wanted that moment when he could overextend himself. Come on! She could grapple him or something.

Dante flowed against each attack but could see how reactive Jill was against him. Everything he would do, Jill observed and did something to stop him. In that there is not a gun to force either of them to back off, Jill took a step back then leaned forward with her right hand on the mat. She lifted her legs up and both came down in a chart wheel kick. Dante dodged the first kick then lifted his forearm to block the second downward kick.

Jill used her free leg to pull down and she did a push up from the ground and both of her legs went into Dante's upper chest. He rolled to his side and used his arm to catch himself as Jill rolled on the opposite side.

A bead of sweat drifted along her forehead as Jill watched Dante flip up then bow to her. Something about that really pissed her off.

"How are you able to read me so well?"

"You are able to confuse most zombies, but I learned to dance before I learned to fight. I always have to read the moves of who I tangled with." Dante winked as Jill realized she needed to mix things up. "I love a fast woman."

Dante sprinted at her and Jill did the same in kind. He blocked her left hook then had two punches come at his right side into his abdomen. Once that happened, he pulled back and because of his bloodline, Jill couldn't keep her center of gravity and was twirled in the embrace of Dante. He leaned forward and like the end of a dance, she stared into his smug expression. His fingers traced over her shoulder so he could memorize the texture of her skin.

Jill rolled her eyes as she hugged Dante then pulled him to the ground. Once that happened, she used her knee to get a bit of leverage then rolled Dante off of her. Before he could get back on his feet with a flip. Jill spun around then tackled Dante on his back. He fell to the ground as Jill shifted her weight to pull one leg back and anchored her other arm on his shoulder.

Of course Dante could overpower her eventually, but this offered plenty of time for Jill to plot out her next move. She let got then rolled to her left and Dante rolled to his right.

Jill stared down at Dante as he looked up at her.

She blinked.

He stared.

Not to give him the chance, Jill forced her right forearm forward into Dante's forehead. It didn't hurt him as Jill got back to her feet then waited for Dante to get on his.

Several sweat streams curled down Jill's shoulders. She controlled her breathing as Dante's shirt started to hug his torso. It was just the start between them as it got fun. Jill would usually nimble her way out of the occasions Dante would behave like a underling Demon. However, her punches and throws were still expected from her but he knew that other demons would underestimate her.

She just needs to focus a little on getting distance from her and the danger. Grappling often against Demons is not the best idea.

This continued for an hour between them. When it was over, Jill just drank water and needed to cool off. She left once they finished with some ideas and techniques they should do in the future. Dante whipped some sweat from his brow as he turned the light off and he walked out.

..

Dante laid in the couch, after he did his morning routine. Taking a moment to relax and think of what happened in that room. How long has it been since he felt like this, since he have this in a warm and happy feeling?

He never realized how much time passed where he was stuck in his own dark world. The back door opened and Isara came in with much energy like she always does.

"Dad come on, I want to buy these cloths I showed you in the magazine." she said and opened the magazine in her hand to a random page.

"Come on princess, did you forget how old you are? I'm not going to buy you such cloths." he replied.

"But it's girls fashion, there is nothing wrong with that." Isara shouted, tears threatening to roll down." how could you do this to me?"

Dante opened his eyes and looked at his daughter, taking aback by her words.

"For crying out loud," he said slightly annoyed. "Don't be so stubborn, once I'm finished with the job I will go out with you to take a walk or something and then I'll buy an ice cream. We have a deal princess?"

Isara put her hands behind her back, as she considered his words for a moment. "Okay. But you will buy me cloths, its fashion I desire." she went out of the front door.

"Was I this stubborn when I was young?" he shrugged."Don't go too far princess." he shouted.

"Yes dad."

Isara stood at first watching the beautiful clear sky. She could hear the people's chatter everywhere in the street up-ahead."There is nothing to worry about." She whispered, but her plan was cut short when a certain smell filled her nostrils. A beautiful hunting smell that somehow reminded her of chocolate and honey and something else entirely she cannot describe. Isara rounded left and started following the smell like she has been hypnotized.

Back in the shop.

Dante rubbed his forehead, thinking of a certain memory when the front door opened and Morrison came in. He was wearing his usual suit and hat, behind him came in a blonde woman from the look in her eyes she was depressed.

The woman took a seat on the couch to his right, her eyes never met his. "So what kind of a job?" he asked and placed his hands behind his head.

The woman placed a grey-blue necklace on the table." I like to hire you to watch over this necklace for a while." she said quietly.

Dante rolled his eyes and looked at Morrison who was standing near the couch. "Hey Morrison isn't that a job of the corn locker at the train station down town?"

"Don't be so hasty." he commented and took a seat next to the woman. "This is a historic heirloom that has been passed down in Miss Nina's family for generations, this pendent is priceless. She inherited it after her old man died, and then in 10 years since: those who want it are out for her blood whenever they smelled a chance."

"10 years!" Dante pondered and stared at the woman sharply." Why do you want to give it to someone now after so long?"

The woman stirred slightly but still she did not look at him.

"The attacks weren't so frequent until now. But lately she is targeted all the time, she is frequently been in danger, it's time for you to step in."

Dante sighed and closed his eyes, he knew deep down there is something off about that necklace, he almost could sense power.

"Would you take the job for me?" she asked.

"I don't want to hear any stupid answers partner." Morrison commented.

"Sure alright, I wasn't doing anything this weekend anyway." he answered in a sly manner and he snatched the necklace from the table. "We have a deal."

The woman stood up and her lips formed half a smile that vanished as fast as it appeared. "Thank you very much." and with that she was escorted out.

"Good day Dante." Morrison said before the door closed behind him.

Dante caught a smell after they closed the door. Slowly it got stronger to the point he felt his knees weakening. It reminded him so much of his mother and the perfume she usually use. But there was something sinister hidden within it.

He gasped." Isara." A scream ripped through him as he jumped over the desk and ran out of the door. His eyes gazed everywhere, trying to locate the little one. The street seems normal enough but he knows better. That scent is still prevalent. Jill ran out of the door terrified."What is going on?" she shouted.

"No.."Dante whispered horrified, a ghost from his past is returning. A ghost thanks to Vergil he was saved from it.

"Stay inside please. I will tell you when I return." He urged her and ran to the left, following the scent with much speed.

 **Thank you for readingm, I hope you liked this. :)**

 **Special thanks to my beta reader The95will.**


	17. Chapter 17 Dying love part 1

**Chapter 17."Dying love part 1"**

The city forest lay spread below him like a lush green carpet. It spread like a never ending jungle, covering every outcropping of rock with its leafy hands. Dante knew from past experience that the entire forest was dotted with old structures long since abandoned. So many stories were told about this forest, creepy stories. Among the locals it was named the demon forest. No one dared to enter it.

Vergil and himself did walk in this forest a couple of times in the past, to discover what is hiding within it. And it led them to a trouble more than stumbling upon something worth seeing.

"My baby.." He whispered. He jumped and start running deeper in the forest.

Dante's right fist sank deep into the knitted face of a hapless scarecrow, blowing a hole clean through it. One vaulted into the air, spinning like a trapeze artist with legs made of scythes. The devil hunter spun and kicked, letting the saws on his feet cut lines across it, then booted it out of the clearing like a ball.

This was his third encounter with a pack of demons, and to be honest, Dante was getting a little sick of it.

There was one thing for him to do here and that is find his daughter, go back to the office, which wasn't going to be a problem, but he kept bumping into things. It wasn't like he had to fight everything, but there was no way in hell he'd spare these ugly bastards.

He finished pounding the last few scarecrows into the ground, then continued on his way, following the river. Five minutes later, a group of blades decided to join him. Four of the demonic lizards bounded through the foliage, claws outstretched. He caught the first one with his sharp boots, uppercutting it into the air. As two more lunged in the wake of the first, Dante skitted back, then raised his leg and dropped it onto the helmet of one of the beasts. The other he simply punted with a right hook. The last of the lizards attacked, but Dante simply ducked underneath it. He pulled Coyote-A from the small of his back and spun it around. He fired three separate times, each volley into a different blade. The one he'd ducked, the one sailing away, and the one falling from his uppercut each received a load.

Dante spun his shotgun on his finger, then holstered it, grinding one heavy boot into the lifeless lizard beneath him. They just don't know when to quit. After a bit, he left the river, then headed west. Through the canopy he saw a familiar sight. There was a clearing and the trees around it created a circle. The trees there were burned. To his left he saw a pile of black-brownish tress. A feet away from him there was a burn marks that created a silhouette in the damaged grass.

"This..where Zane died and took Vergil's heart with him." He whispered. He felt his heart bump for a moment at the mention of the departed demon, the one who cared for him and his brother for so long. In the past he looked for this place to investigate his death a bit, since Vergil refused to talk to him about it.

It took him so much to push the thoughts for now and focus on his missing daughter. The devil hunter began to push through the foliage. The whole follow-the-sun trick was neat in this thick forest, but he could see past it without a problem. He shoved a big fern out of his way-Finally, he found himself on what had to be the right path. The flow of energy was overwhelming like a magnet to a compass for him. The bastard is here.

Right up-ahead in a clearing, there was a blonde woman in a black dress and a light red scarf.

Dante breathed in and out, a meditation session and to remind himself this is an ugly demon.

Dante found himself walking up a ruined set of stairs carved into a hill. There she was, his little girl. It seems like she was trapped in some kind of a protected portal, filled with light. Her silver hair was gently floating. She wasn't moving, almost peacefully sleeping, had it not been for the terrified look on her lips and behind her closed eyelids, he could see clearly sign of tears in her cheeks.

"So...you've come..." The demon turned to face him, and just like before, he does have his mothers face.

"What have you done to my baby!?" Dante yelled.

"Why don't you come closer and give mommy a hug?" mocked the demon, his voice changed to more feminine and gentle. "But this time your big brother is not here to save you."

Dante wouldn't want it any other way. He would gladly kill anyone who dared to hurt his child. "Are you that much of a cowered that you will target a little girl instead of facing me directly...?" His body vibrated as his cloths started to stretch. He fully changed to his demon form."Lets roll!" he shouted with his deep voice.

The demon laughed menacingly, and allowed her hair to flow in the wind. The demon flow over and started firing scales his ways.

He felt irritated, why would she/it do this. Then he rushed forward to where the scales were coming his way. He booted one, two, three of them back towards the demon with powerful kicks. Sailing directly at the demon... The demon fell and moaned in pain."Dante why are you doing this to me?" The demon cried. He looked at him and allowed tears to roll down it's cheeks."Why didn't you protect me from the demons attack? I love you."

Dante stopped, terrified by the sudden change. He felt the ground beneath him shake, but he still managed to keep his balance. Once he focused back on the demon, the whole scenery changed to a house. His house. There is his mother, laying next to the broken coffee table.

"Help me Dante." She cried."Please."

"You are not my mother." He whispered and charged toward the demon, ready to take it down with his bare hands.

The woman closed her eyes and screamed, a blood chilling sound. He stopped midway." Please I want to be there for my sons! They need me."

"Mother..." He cried, his arms shaking midair. The woman smirked and hurled forward stabbing Dante in the abdomen. The color drained from Dante's face as he felt the burning sensation. The horrible feeling of the poison going through his veins. He fell on his knees and he stared at his left arm. Veins were abnormally showing, going all the way to his wrist.

"You cannot beat me. You don't have the heart to hurt what you love the most." The demon mocked again."Weak human."

With that the demon walked away, slowly it's frame vanished within the forest. His daughter fell to the ground and cried,"Daddy..."

Dante Ignored the pain and went for his daughter.

He pulled her into his warmth and tapped her head."It's okay, I'm right here." The little girl cried in his chest, she was shaking like a leaf. He looked at her and removed her bangs from her eyes."Are you hurt? did he do something to you?"

Isara's lips trembled as she tried to talk."I don't know, I felt my blood going cold." Dante checked her arms and any sign in her legs for anything but there was none.

A sigh of relief escaped his lips. Still it confused him. Why that demon stabbed him and walked away? Or he does not want to kill him and he is actually planning for something else? That bastard had the chance to take him away and kill him or do whatever he wanted.

He carried Isara in his arms and started hidden back home, the poison takes awhile until it start to affect him.

He went forward over the foliage, when he sensed demons coming their way. He buried his daughters face on his shoulder."Don't look." He murmured and prepared to draw his gun.

However a dark shadow of a horse appeared hovering over the scarecrows and a man jumped down, he was holding them in a death grip. He punched a demon with his elbow and stabbed the other until the knife came out of the other side..draining the life out of the thing. He then held the remaining scarecrow and broke it's body to pieces with his bare hands.

"Nice moves, who are you?" Dante asked, Isara lifted her head to look.

The man had a black gas mask over his face, he wore a black trench coat, golden belt shimmering in his waist."It's an honor to meet you son of Sparda." His voice seemed muffed slightly. The man bowed before him."My name is Thanatos, but I'm known here as Hunk." The black horse neighed and kicked the ground with it's hove.

"You gotta be kidding me." Dante shock his head."You are the headless horseman I heard about, aren't you? You actually exist?"

"That was not a surprising reaction my lord."Hunk said."A demon like me is rare. The only one left of my kind. Can we talk?"

...

Jill paced back and forth inside the shop, her own sanity hanging by a thread."Come on, where are you?"

After 5 minutes of waiting the front door opened."Mama." Isara ran to her arms crying. "Baby." Jill held unto her tightly."Are you okay?" she whispered and kissed her forehead.

Dante came in and closed the door. Still he could feel his body shaking."Don't worry Jill, she is fine. I was the target, not her."

She gazed up at him and nodded."Thank you..." she breathed.

"She is my daughter too." He said and went inside to the bed room.

Jill let go of her daughter,"Let's go see daddy." Deep down she wanted to go inside alone, however Isara has just been frightened and it doesn't feel right to leave her alone.

Dante stared at himself in the mirror, dark circles appeared under his eyes. He was breathing like he just did a heavy lifting for hours. So it begins.

"Are you okay?" Jill asked."You don't look too good."

"I'm fine, do not worry." He grinned at her direction."Are you ready for training hearty?"

"Now?" she raised an eyebrow."Don't you want to rest a bit?"

Dante stared down at his forearms again, and he almost could see his own hands vibrate. His vision is damaged there is no doubt. That is not the end of it. Soon he will stop healing, his powers will be drained. If this poison is the same he heard about.

He remembered what happened when he was young. Vergil told him that if he was not cured, maybe he will reach a point where he will lose his mind and try to kill him and Zane. Maybe that was it... The demon wants to drag him into the dark side and corrupt him. Turn him into a puppet.

Isara's face flashed in his mind. His innocent baby that he just started to bond with. 'Not going to happen,' He will fight back and cure himself no matter what.

"You are right. It will only take a moment to recover. I'll...go to the nearby place for a pizza."

Jill was about to leave when she felt Dante's hand stops her. She gazed back at him and noticed a weird look she never seen before."Jill listen to me carefully." He whispered and placed his hands in both sides of her face.

"If something happens to me, I want you to go to Vergil in the manor. He will keep you two safe."

The two were inches apart where she can feel his breathing against her skin.

Isara came in closer worried."Daddy? what is going on?" she whispered.

Dante couldn't say much to the two. He did not want to terrify them. Still he had to make sure they will be okay in case of an emergency.

"Why are you talking like this?" Jill's voice was shaking."Did something happen out there?"

Dante knelt down to his daughter, and played with her hair."Be brave sweetheart. I just want you to be strong if I'm not around for a few days." It was a lie but with good intention.

He is not giving up on his family, never. Isara's shoulder dropped, a painful look of disappointment has painted her innocent face. A look that broke his heart into thousand little pieces.

He wanted to say more but the little girl walked out of the bedroom in silence and closed the door behind her. The two heard her go to the spare bedroom and slam the door shut. Dante sighed and just took a seat on the bed.

"The girl loves her daddy. No surprise she is upset after what you just said." Jill spoke at last."Talk to me."

"I have something to deal with. Something you cannot handle Jill." He commented." I want to make sure the two of you will be okay."

"Why you don't want me to try and help?" Jill said, her voice turned brittle.

"Because I don't want you to get hurt." He shouted with hints of anger in his voice."Get it through your head."

That was the end of it, she needed to speak her mind and get it over with." I thought you are the one for me. We will get married and have two girls and three boys. Maybe by than I'll quit the bio-terror business, and we will live in a beautiful countryside, peacefully with our children."

Dante did not say anything. Her words felt like a stab in the heart. It was a future he wishes to have but he knew it cannot happen. He was bound to his demon hunting business. He will always be a target to Sparda's enemies and his own enemies."See? you don't get it. I don't belong anywhere. Not in humans' side. We are strange, as Isara puts it. And Never part of the demons side, because I'm Sparda's child. The one who defend humanity, the one who hunt down every demon he find and end his ugly life, if he was in the mood."

"You are wrong! You're..." She shouted, and felt her words are lost.

Unexpectedly, his hand drifted to her hip. It settled there and pulled her closer. She inhaled sharply. She was against his warm chest, chiseled to perfection. Must he be so perfect? She splayed her hand against it, intending to push him away, but instead she left it there. His breathing quickened as did hers. He began nuzzling her neck with delicate kisses. So faint, they were whispers. She urged herself to push away, but couldn't. Her limp body began to tremble uncontrollably. His head was angled slightly to the side as his lips came closer and closer to hers. She was surprised to find her own lips parted. Their breaths mingled. Her heart fluttered inside her chest. She lies on her back as he matches her body's form. Dante's hands venture over her curved body, exploring. They pull apart and open their eyes. They stared at each other, deep into each other's eyes. Dante's full of wonder and love, Jill's full of curiosity and passion. No words are spoken but a story worthy of them is communicated.

Dante leans in a softly kisses up and down her neck. She lets out little whimpers of anticipation. Dante worked his way back to her tender, smooth lips. As they kiss she rolls him over and lies on top of his strong, muscular body. She runs her lips up his neck and lands a loving and intense kiss on his lips. Then she placed her head on his chest, resting.

"Promise me," He said."You will go to Vergil, if something happened and I was late, from coming back home."

"I promise. I know you will come back."

Gently he let go of her on the bed, his lips formed half a smile and he waved goodbye.

...

The place was half empty. Dante chose the third table near the window and he placed the necklace on the table. Ready to investigate more of it's origins. He tried to call Trish in his way to the diner but he got no answer."I wonder where the hell is she now?" He whispered and rolled his eyes in annoyance. She is probably somewhere buying cloths and playing with Lady or something.

"You are alone today?" The waitress did a little smooth slide move and placed a cup in front of him."Girls at that age get hurt easily. Hurry up and apologize to shorty and make friends again."

Dante crossed his legs and sighed." How about you roll over there and bring me the usual." He said casually.

"Okay." She winked and went over to her business.

He closed his eyes and tried his best to assure himself everything is going to be okay."Why the long face?" He heard Lady's voice.

 **...Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this...Will the story will stop here for awhile.. I'm going to be editing it and I will polish it more before I update again..**


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